Edwin Booth gets the first spade as Broughton Bypass work begins

Work on a congestion-busting road mooted for more than 25 years has begun.

The Broughton Bypass, to the north of the city, has seen spades put in the ground during Monday morning.

Advertisements

At a ceremony at a layby on the A6, to the north of Broughton village, construction work has begun.

The new 1km long road is due to cut through farmland on the edge of the village and relieve pressure on the Broughton crossroads.

Jennifer Mein, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “This work will solve long-standing problems in Broughton and bring welcome relief for local people who have experienced traffic congestion through their village.

“Our own staff, from teams across the county council, have worked hard to get us to this point. And we’ve worked closely with our partners and other organisations to realise these plans.

“This is a landmark day for the area and marks the start of exciting improvements that will benefit residents and businesses in Broughton itself, as well as people from further afield.”

Costing £24 million the bypass is due to open in Spring 2017.

Funded by the City Deal, a £430m investment in housing and roads in Preston and South Ribble, the chairman of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, Edwin Booth, was on hand to see the work begin.

He said: This is yet another major project that is going ahead with funding through the Enterprise Partnership.

“The aim of the City Deal is to unlock the economic potential of the area, creating new jobs and making it easier for residents and businesses to get around.

“Our plans include major improvements to the road network, which will encourage new business and housing developments, along with a range of other improvements to local communities as places to live and work.”

The bypass is a key road being built as part of the City Deal, and part of the city council’s plan to see thousands of new homes built in the North West of the city.

Councillor Peter Rankin, leader of Preston City Council, said: “This is an important moment for Preston. We’re talking hundreds of millions of pounds of investment in the city’s infrastructure to create a lasting legacy for future generations. This is only possible through the £430m City Deal which we have secured for the area, despite recent reductions to overall council funding.

“The new Broughton bypass tackles one of Preston’s key traffic hotspots. It improves traffic flow around Preston, boosts air quality and unlocks areas for new housing and business development. The City Deal is transforming the local area and unleashing Preston’s true potential as the economic engine of Lancashire.”

Do you live in Broughton? What do you think of the new road? Let us know in the comments below