Plan to axe notorious roundabouts funded by council

The scheme needs central government financial backing to succeed

A notorious double roundabout on one of South Ribble's busiest roads is a step closer to being replaced with high-tech traffic lights after some of the funding was approved.

The current layout of the A582 – at the point where Flensburg Way, Farington Road, Croston Road and Centurion Way all meet – is one of the junctions in line for a major overhaul as part of a revamp of the regularly congested route between Lostock Hall and Penwortham.

Lancashire County Council's cabinet backed spending £6m on the next phase of the £68m South Ribble Western Distributor project – even though there is no guarantee that the government will pay the lion's share of the funding.

That decision will not be made until the completion of the ongoing Whitehall spending review in the spring.

County council cabinet member for economic development and growth Aidy Riggott said it was "crucial" that preparation work continued to ensure the scheme was delivered in a timely fashion if the government cash was confirmed.

Lancashire highways bosses want to plough on with the project to align with related work planned as part of the nearby Lancashire Central logistics and leisure development at Cuerden, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Pinchpoint'

The preparations include the drawing up of compulsory purchase orders for the land needed for the radical redesign planned for the twin roundabout junction if it is impossible to acquire the plots by agreement with their current owners.

Moss Side and Farington division county councillor Michael Green told the cabinet meeting at which the decision was made that the present set-up created a "pinchpoint"

"You get clearance to get onto one roundabout and then you have to stop to get onto the second [one] – and that causes congestion.

The proposed reconfiguration will result in three T-shaped, signal-controlled junctions whose traffic lights will create a co-ordinated "green wave" for vehicles travelling along the route.

New technology will also detect lorries approaching the junction and ensure the traffic light sequence gives them priority – reducing the need for HGVs to decelerate, councillors heard.

Work will now begin on the development of a final business case to present to the government, which was said to have given "positive indications" in response to an outline plan last year.

The county council has previously committed £19m in match funding for the project, from which the £6m now expected to be spent in the coming months will be drawn.