An underpass on Preston’s Western Distributor Road which has been blighted by flooding will close for repairs, Lancashire County Council (LCC) has confirmed.

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, the underpass has been beset with flooding problems for months and this weekend’s heavy rain during Storm Bert has seen water levels once again rise in tunnel.

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Matt Townsend, director of Highways and Transport at LCC, confirmed the closure.

He said: “In order to protect the safety of highway users, we are implementing a closure at this underpass to protect pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians and stop them from entering deep flood water.

“Darkinson Lane has a history of flooding prior to Edith Rigby Way being built and a number of significant improvements have been made. 

“We are working very hard to reopen it as soon as possible; however, we need to remove the flood water to assess any the damage to existing pumps and lighting.

“We will be able to provide a full update on the timescale for repairs as soon as we know what work needs to be carried out.”

Blog Preston reported last week how regular users of the underpass had branded the flooding as being ‘beyond a joke’, while Preston city councillor Ben Ward, who represents Cottam and Ingol, was calling for answers and a long term solution to be found.

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