Underpass at Preston Western Distributor Road regularly closed by flooding

Darkinson Lane underpass flooding. Credit: Keith Taylor

An underpass built to allow pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders to get from one side of the new Preston Western Distributor Road to the other is regularly being closed by flooding, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.

The short tunnel, on Darkinson Lane in Lea, was constructed as part of the £206m link road scheme which has seen a new dual carriageway created connecting Riversway to a new junction 2 on the M55.

However, historical flooding on the narrow lane that now runs beneath the new road has gone unresolved – in spite of the installation of a pumping system in an attempt to rectify it.

Local resident Keith Taylor told the LDRS that he was shocked to have found the underpass impassable on several occasions.

“It’s a route I go walking along nearly every day. When it flooded a couple of weeks ago. it hadn’t even rained that hard, and even then it had only been for a day – it’s not like it had been raining for 40 days and 40 nights.

“The first time it was shut, not long after the new road opened, it ended up being closed for a week.

“It’s a long way to go round to avoid it and you don’t know it’s flooded until you get right up to it – and so then you have to turn all the way back.

“A lot of the other paths have been cut off because of the new road, but this is one that is still available to be able to do a good circular walk.

“Surely they could have installed a drain capable of coping with the rainfall in Lancashire – it’s not like it’s a once in a Preston Guild event,” Keith added.

Responding to his concerns, a Lancashire County Council spokesperson told the LDRS: “We are aware of flooding at Darkinson Lane underpass, part of the Preston Western Distributor scheme.

“Darkinson Lane flooded regularly before the new road was built, but there is a fault with the new pumping system that we installed to tackle the old problem, and we are currently investigating it.”

Prior to the new road – officially known as Edith Rigby Way – being built, Darkinson Lane was a through-route for all vehicles.