ANOTHER major Blackpool road set to close for roadworks

Chaos has been reported around Crossley’s Bridge, and St Annes Road, and now Progress Way will be closed for eight nights for resurfacing work to be carried out.

Traffic will be banned from the major road, which links South Shore and St Annes to the M55, from 6pm until 3.30am from Monday, November 28.

Town hall officials told The Gazette the closure is necessary between Common Edge Road and Midgeland Road to allow for the installation of traffic lights, which will serve the housing development.

Resurfacing work will be carried out at the same time.

Although the council’s traffic order comes into place from November 28, it is not clear exactly when the road will be closed, and it may not be on consecutive evenings.

Workers are likely to be in the road from Monday to Thursday, before breaking for the weekend and carrying on the week after.

Coun Fred Jackson, Blackpool Council cabinet member for environmental services and highways, said: “To reduce the impact on traffic congestion, we’ve made sure this work takes place overnight.

“The traffic signal will also be programmed to be on green at all times in both directions, other than when construction vehicles are entering or exiting the site, until residents move in.”

Some motorists are already avoiding St Annes Road after work to replace water pipes started last month, which could overlap by several days.

Meanwhile, drivers are abandoning their cars and catching trams to work because of the work to replace Crossley’s Bridge, which started last Monday and is scheduled to continue until Easter.

Blackpool’s transport bosses said they will reintroduce the Illuminations timetable until the bridge, in Plymouth Road, reopens after an influx of passengers catching the trams in the morning.

Managing director Jane Cole said: “People are heeding the warnings about traffic, and are using the trams to travel between Fleetwood and Starr Gate. This isn’t something we normally do, but we will support them.”

From Monday, services from Fleetwood Ferry will start at 6am. Later trams will run at 6.37am and 7.20am, before running every 20 minutes until 9am. From Starr Gate, trams will run at 5am, 5.30am, 6am, 6.20am, and then every 20 minutes until 9am – up from once every 30 minutes.