Lancs County Council gives all-clear for highways project
In the works since 2015, the replacement of a double roundabout on the A582 near Farington Moss is part of a wider programme set for Department for Transport backing.
Within the boundaries of South Ribble Council, the 22.7-acre site currently has double roundabouts where Croston Road meets the A582 and the access to Lancashire Business Park. These are to be replaced by three signal-controlled T-junctions, which according to modelling will improve traffic flow.
Along with the removal of the double roundabout configuration, the remodelling includes the addition of cycleways, the installation of six Toucan crossings and the rerouting of Centurion Way – ie the access into the business park – along with the diversion of a public right of way.
A water attenuation pond will be added, with landscape and ecological mitigation areas, including 2m-tall acoustic fencing.
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The scheme is important as it sits within a wider package of works for a stretch of the A-road, long regarded as a drag factor on the area’s development.
Close to Penwortham Way and Lancashire County Cricket Club’s new base at Farington, highway improvements will underpin future development, officiasl believe. As set out in the pre-meeting report:
“If the objectives of the scheme were not achieved, travel along the A582 would likely remain congested, leading to longer and more unpredictable journey times for vehicles. People walking and cycling would continue to face difficulties at crossing points.
“Access to new housing developments between Penwortham and Lostock Hall, as well as to development sites north of Leyland including the new Lancashire Cricket Club and other mixed-use areas, would be hindered, potentially slowing down growth and investment in the region.
“Without improvements to support both the current single-lane layout and a future upgrade to a dual carriageway, traffic flow would remain inefficient, and the road network would struggle to cope with increasing demand over time.”
Lancashire County Council’s cabinet has previously signed off £19m from the council’s coffers, to which can be added somewhere between £40m and £50m from the DfT to make the wider project happen.
As planning officers told LCC’s development control committee last week, the planning consent has to be in place for this project for that funding to be released.
The project has been consulted on in 2015 and 2019, as part of the wider scheme which was initially proposed as a full-scale dualling scheme.
While this on the whole is good news, if disruption is kept to a minimum and it is completed in a timely fashion… I do fear that the modelling will be short of the mark with the amount of traffic joining from the business park. I’m sure the bridge is the biggest factor in not dualing the road through to the tank roundabout but it’s still a shame. Next stop a bridge over the Ribble connecting Howick Cross to Lea and the M55.
By G McCain
Seems a bit pointless when the real issue is the road needs to be a duel carriageway and the busy bit is the single lane bottleneck. I’m not expecting a new bridge over the Ribble anytime soon either
By Jon P
Until you double the width of the bridge your completey wasting tax payers money
Again
By Jeff
What will be the potential of local jobs on this project ?. The project also needs management and local authoritie overseeing the project..what will be the time sale?
By Peter
Total waste of money and unnecessary disruption to the locality
By Nowitall
The person who designed this Croston Road roundabout at the consultation said he had never visited the site it’s a waste of money the plans themselves have already cost 4 million pounds to draw and not a spade in the ground.
By Anonymous
Will wildlife corridors be maintained with all the sound proof fencing or will wildlife be expected to run the length of the fence?
By Anonymous
Is there a circular bus service in the upgrading plan.
As a person that hasn’t transport of my own available, is 70+ yoa, and is ambulatory challenged; I, and many others find the lack of accessible public transport around retail parks cuts down shopping opportunities.
By Richard Williams