The county council is asking people to allow extra time when travelling around Penwortham as essential work is being carried out to construct a continuous two-way cycle track between Penwortham town centre and Broadgate in Preston.

Construction works are scheduled to start on Sunday 17 October 2021 and finish on Friday 17 December 2021 over two phases:

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• Phase 1, beginning 17 October – Kingsway will operate with a left turn in and left turn out only arrangement.
• Phase 2, starting not before 2 November – temporary road closure on Kingsway at its junction with Liverpool Road continuing until works are complete.

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A signed diversion route will be in place along Priory Lane and pedestrian access along Liverpool Road and Kingsway will be maintained at all times during construction.

Access to St Fillian’s Medical Centre will be via the diversion route.

There will also be a temporary suspension of the short stay (one hour) parking area on Priory Lane to facilitate the diversion route during the full construction period.

The Penwortham to Preston Cycle Superhighway is being delivered by Lancashire County Council and funded by the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund (Tranche 2).

The scheme aims to provide for a significant potential demand for cycling along this route, and build on the success of the new bypass.

John Horrocks Way provides a convenient alternative for through traffic and has helped to reduce congestion in Penwortham along Liverpool Road.

Proposed works will link the cycle track that was recently constructed as part of the Tesco development on Liverpool Road with the section introduced across Penwortham Bridge, as part of complementary works to support the Bypass.

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County Councillor Charlie Edwards, cabinet member for highways and transport said: “We recently consulted on the creation of a one way system on Kingsway, and after listening to your feedback we revised the scheme to maintain the two-way traffic flow.

“However, a short term closure of Kingsway is needed to allow us to carry out this important work to improve connections between Penwortham and Preston with a dedicated walking and cycling route. I’d like to apologise in advance for any disruption or inconvenience these works may cause and hope that you will please bear with us.

“The decision to close Kingsway for this temporary period hasn’t been taken lightly but it will not only ensure the safety of our road workers but also allow the work to be finished sooner. This will mean we are able to open the road fully before the Christmas period and minimise disruption for residents and local businesses.”

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