MOTORISTS are facing 12-months of roadwork misery after National Grid announced 57 miles of major gas main replacements.

The utility firm has admitted that drivers can expect disruption on main roads in and out of Blackburn, Burnley and Accrington as part of its £9.7million project to replace old metal pipes with new plastic ones.

The scheme is National Grid’s biggest investment in the area for 60 years, and is part of an £84million package of work to the North West’s gas supply network.

Shopkeepers have raised fears over the scheme, with one saying they feared they may have to close, while another said the work would be a ‘nightmare’.

A total of 334 miles of gas pipes will be replaced in the North West, with almost a fifth of those taking place in East Lancashire.

Roads affected in Blackburn will include Livesey Branch Road and Preston Old Road, with main routes Padiham Road, Trafalgar Street and Barden Lane in Burnley and Blackburn Road and Burnley Road in Accrington also seeing disruption.

Residential roads, as well as commuter routes, will be impacted, with temporary traffic lights and diversions put in place.

Ruth Marriner, owner of Ruth Marriner Flowers, in Preston Old Road, said she was very worried about the news and would have to consider closing the shop while the work was being done.

She said: “If people can’t get to us then I don’t know what we would do - maybe take a year off.

“It is very concerning, especially in this climate, and it would definitely affect us if drivers could not get here.”

But Jeanette Unsworth, from National Grid, said the company planned on working closely with businesses and residents to make sure problems were kept to a minimum.

She said: “You take your modern facilities for granted and people don’t often think about the works - they need to be repaired.

“Before we start work we will talk to the traders around the site and give them the heads-up.

“The whole purpose of the work is to prevent gas escapes - it is for safety and security of supply.

“We will get some cases where we are doing one or two miles of replacements along one road but we can usually keep one carriageway open as we move the work along the road.”

Gerald Wilkinson, menswear buyer at Originals Clothing, in Blackburn Road, Accrington, said the work would definitely impact on his store.

He said: “It sounds like it is going to be a bit of a nightmare.

“If customers can’t get to our store then they aren’t going to be spending money with us and in the current economic climate we need as many customers as we can get.”

Abdul Aziz, who runs a car valeting business on Trafalgar Street, Burnley, said: “There’s no doubt it’s going to have an effect on us because we rely on passing trade – but I don’t know what we can do about it.”

Charlie Briggs, leader of Burnley Council, said he wanted to work with National Grid to help keep disruption to a minimum.

He said: “Some of these mains have been in for years and years and obviously they do need replacing.

“There is no good time to do it but all we can do is apologise to the people of Burnley and hope we do not inconvenience too much.

“I am looking to the people doing the job to do it as safe and fast as they possibly can.”

Blackburn MP Jack Straw said the work will ‘undoubtedly’ cause problems for drivers.

He said: “Nobody disputes that our aging infrastructure has got to be replaced but I shall be seeking assurances from National Grid, which has not been in touch with me, about keeping disruption to a minimum, particularly for businesses.

“Everybody accepts that this kind of repair work has to take place but it is how it is handled that is really important.”