Work to replace a number of traffic signals at key junctions in Preston as well as a bus improvement scheme on a major road are set to begin in the New Year.
Lancashire County Council (LCC) said they are currently planning a series of major refurbishment schemes in the city to replace and upgrade traffic signals at key junctions that are coming to the end of their life and are ‘becoming increasingly difficult to maintain’. From Monday, January 6, work will begin on the A6 North Road/Moor Lane, with Moor Lane due to be closed at its junction with the A6.
Lane closures, temporary traffic lights and diversions will be in place throughout the works. Moorbrook Street will also be closed at its junction with Moor Lane and made two-way to allow access to and from the University of Central Lancashire car park.
The work is expected to last for up to eight weeks. Councillor Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “We’re currently planning a series of major refurbishment schemes in Preston throughout 2025.
“The work will involve installing new ducting within the road for the cables, which will allow future maintenance to be carried out with reduced disruption to traffic By carefully planning these projects and carrying them out before the situation becomes critical, such as hardware or cable failure, we hope to reduce disruption for years or decades to come.
“We’re also going to bring the existing controlled pedestrian facilities at these locations up to modern standard and make them more accessible for blind and partially sighted users. This is a significant investment in new technology and is part of an ongoing programme to renew outdated traffic signals assets across the county.”
New Hall Lane
Elsewhere, bus improvement works on New Hall Lane are set to start this week. The work is due to start on Thursday (January 2), and comes after cabinet approved plans in May for the introduction of a bus lane and junction improvements at this location.
The first phase of work will focus on the creation of the bus lane and some resurfacing of the road. No road closures will be needed, although LCC said traffic signals may be used at certain points.
The improvement works, which are expected to last for around three weeks, are being carried out as part of the county council’s bus service improvement plan (BSIP). Detailed design work on the second phase of works to create additional capacity and upgrade traffic signals at the New Hall Lane/London Road/Queen Street junction is being progressed for work later in 2025.
Cllr Rupert Swarbrick said: “The aim of the scheme is to improve public transport journey times and timetable reliability by reallocating the carriageway width to create a lane dedicated for use by buses and cycles exclusively. This will allow public transport to move more seamlessly through the junction, allowing buses to bypass congestion and cut journey times, particularly during peak travel periods.
“No road closures will be needed during this phase of works, and we’ve organised the works to create as little disruption as possible. Once the works are complete the bus lane won’t become enforceable straight away and we’ll make sure to inform residents before it does.”
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