/ News / Work starts on new roundabout in Preston

Construction work starts next week (Monday 9 July) on a new roundabout and section of link road off Lightfoot Lane, close to Tom Benson Way.

The work, which is being carried out by Lancashire County Council, will initially provide access to the new David Wilson Homes development known as Lightfoot Meadows.

This roundabout and link road are being constructed as part of the planning permission for the site, with the land provided by them.

It is expected to be completed towards the end of the year.

This road will form the first 200m section of the proposed East-West Link Road, which would connect to the new Preston Western Distributor, a major new road scheme planned for west Preston.

County Councillor Keith Iddon, Cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “This new roundabout and section of road is an important step forward in the process of creating this new link road, which will benefit a growing area of the city.

“We’ll do what we can to minimise the inconvenience during construction, and ask people to bear with us.

“These roads will provide a major new link for people on the western side of the city, connecting the M55 towards Blackpool Road and Riversway.

“As well as supporting new housing and business development in the area, they will help to relieve some of the traffic pressures near Broughton, around junction one of the M55, and help to reduce congestion in the centre of Preston by providing people with alternative routes.

“There will also be opportunities for new bus priority measures, improvements to local public areas and initiatives to encourage walking and cycling.”

The Preston Western distributor is a new 4.3km dual carriageway that will connect the A583 Blackpool Road with the M55 at a new Junction 2 near Bartle.

The overall scheme includes the East-West Link Road, a 3.4km long single carriageway road linking Lightfoot Lane to the Preston Western Distributor, with separate footways and cycleways along its entire length.

A single carriageway road will also be created to Cottam Way. Known as the Cottam Link Road, it will join the Preston Western Distributor just north of the Lancaster Canal.

The Preston Western Distributor and East-West Link Road have already received planning consent, and are now going through the Compulsory Purchase process, to assemble the land needed for the schemes. A Public Inquiry will be held later this year.

Funding for these new roads is coming from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund, through the Lancashire Growth Deal, as well as Highways England and City Deal.

Jim Carter, chair of the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal, said: “This roundabout is a key junction that will help us to unlock the potential of the area by helping people to get around by improving the connections between homes and workplaces.

“This Preston Western Distributor is by far the largest transport project in the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Deal programme and one of several major road schemes in our City Deal.

“We’re seeing a lot of change happening in the City Deal area of Preston and South Ribble, which makes it an exciting time as people move into their new homes, new jobs are coming to the area, and there are new opportunities for local people.”

These new roads will support the delivery of the North West Preston strategic housing location which includes around 5,000 homes, and also improve access between the Enterprise Zone site at Warton and the wider road network.

Preston City Councillor Peter Moss, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulation said: “We believe this road is a key development for the area and an important next step to support residents and businesses, providing better connections and smoother traffic-flow.

“We are proud to be working closely with Lancashire County Council and South Ribble Borough Council, as part of City Deal, to continue investing in Preston and its surrounding areas.”

The City Deal is an agreement between the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council and Lancashire County Council, along with central government and Homes England.

City Deal will help to deliver new infrastructure, new homes and more jobs over the next ten years. It will help to create more than 20,000 new private sector jobs and see over 17,000 new homes built across the area, along with new school places, open green spaces and new health provision to cater for the growing population.

The other major City Deal road schemes are James Towers Way (formerly known as The Broughton Bypass) which opened last year, the Penwortham Bypass which is under construction; and the ongoing widening of the A582.

Find out more on the City Deal website and stay updated on City Deal schemes by following @LancsCityDeal on twitter.

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