Blackburn picks team for £30m roads job 

Balfour Beatty has been selected for a project that will see the capacity of Junction 5 of the M65 increased, while WSP is to draw up plans for more than 17km of walking and cycling routes in the south-east of the town. 

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive will meet later this week to approve the award of contracts for the two schemes, which form part of the authority’s £40m levelling up programme. 

The improvements to Junction 5 of the M65 are to be carried out by Balfour Beatty. The project is aimed at “tackling congestion, addressing safety concerns, and driving prosperity across East Lancashire by releasing the potential for growth,” according to a report to the council’s executive. 

The scheme will see the M65 southbound and northbound exit slip roads widened from two lanes to three. 

In addition, the northbound and southbound entry slip roads will also be widened to allow for the construction of segregated left turn lanes for traffic entering the motorway. 

WSP has been selected to map out proposals for the Southeast Blackburn Walking and Cycling Network. 

The project is aimed at “giving residents better access to local amenities and opportunities, increasing levels of physical activity, and reducing the number of vehicular trips on the local road network,” according to the report. 

The scheme will see in excess of 17km of cycling and walking infrastructure introduced around the town centre, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, and the hospital. 

Both projects, which have been allocated £20m of BwD’s £40m Levelling Up Fund award, closely link to the council’s Blackburn Growth Axis plans, which links to the nearby Samlesbury Enterprise Zone, soon to be home to the new National Cyber Force headquarters. 

In total, the projects will cost between £25m and £30m to deliver, according to the council.