Moss Road ‘worse than first thought’

A key road which links Blackpool with south Fylde could be closed for longer than anticipated after it was revealed a section of carriageway is slipping into a ditch.
The Moss Road looks set to remain shut until some point next year.The Moss Road looks set to remain shut until some point next year.
The Moss Road looks set to remain shut until some point next year.

The single track Wild Lane and North Houses Lane – known locally as The Moss – links Marton Moss with Ansdell and Lytham and until August was used by thousands of drivers a day.

But after ‘worrying’ defects were found in the road surface police closed the track – and now one councillor has revealed authorities believe the problem “is bigger than first thought”.

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Coun David Chedd, whose Park ward includes the link road, said fears have been raised the track will fail to re-open in time for its anticipated target date of February.

He added: “We have been told it is more likely to be some point next year.

“Highways officers have been down in the last month and the road is slipping into a big ditch. The problem was bigger than first thought.”

In a county council report to the Fylde Three Tier Forum, a meeting between parish, borough and county councils, an update revealed the county council “may need to lower the road or stabilise the embankment for a length of about a quarter of a mile”. The report also said “it is very unlikely that the road will be re-opened before February and the closure may have to be longer to allow for works to be implemented”.

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Sim Lane-Dixon, highways manager for Fylde, added: “We’ve had to temporarily close the section of Wild Lane for safety due to weaknesses within the underlying road structure, which will need substantial, and costly, repairs.

“We’re sorry for the inconvenience being caused, and are still considering the best course of action to take, but hope to be able to let people know how we propose to resolve the issue in the New Year.”

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