Tests begin Monday 23 June in preparation for new distributor roads around Preston.

Lancashire County Council will be using a drilling rig to investigate the land on which several new roads and bridges will be built.

The East-West Link Road, Cottam Link Road and Preston and Western Distributor (PWD), which will link North West Preston and the M55 all need preparatory work headed of construction.

Lancashire County Council project manager Phill Wilson said “We need to carry out this work to ensure that we can produce a well-engineered design for these roads and their associated bridges. We will liaise with the landowners whose fields are affected to identify the best time to carry out the investigation so as not to affect crops and land usage.”

The PWD, linking the North West area of Preston to the M55 motorway, is seen as vital to ensure the road network can support all the new housing and business development.

It is a key scheme part of Lancashire County Council’s Highways and Transport Masterplan for Central Lancashire.

The East-West Link Road and Cottam Link Road will provide convenient access for local and through traffic to use the PWD, avoiding already congested local routes.

The Preston Western Distributor is part of a number of large road schemes at the heart of the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal. This will hopefully generate around 20,000 new jobs plus the anticipated construction of 17,000 new homes.

There will be further measures taken to improve public transport, cycling and walking.

The works will continue for about five weeks.

What do you think now that work has started on the new roads around Preston? Let us know below