Months of traffic disruption predicted on key route between Blackpool and St Annes

Improvements will be carried out on a stretch of Common Edge Road between School Road and Division Lane.

Temporary traffic lights during the week beginning September 12, which lasted for a few days, at the junction of Division Lane and Common Edge Road, have already caused long queues.

Pleas to ease congestion by reopening the junction between Division Lane and Midgeland Road to allow through traffic have fallen on deaf ears, according to Stanley ward councillors Graham Baker and Jason Roberts.

Coun Baker said: "They are starting at Division Lane and gradually moving north to School Road.

"It will take months and traffic disruption cannot be avoided as it will be only single flow traffic in either direction.

"We did ask if the junction of Division Lane and Midgeland Road could be opened up but that was refused for pedestrian safety reasons.

"We also asked if it could wait until the new road across the moss to Cypress Point was opened but again that was refused due to the time that would take.

Myself and Coun Roberts are very sympathetic with the residents and the disruption these works will cause for all using this rout,e and are open to reasonable suggestions that we can put to highways.

"Unfortunately there is no good time to do this work which I understood will last about three months, but this will be dependent upon the weather etc.

"We also asked if highways would liaise and work in conjunction with Lancashire County Council with any road works on Clifton Drive."

Residents of Division Lane said temporary traffic lights last week caused disruption, with traffic backing down School Road as far as the Cropper Road roundabout.

They are calling for the junction with Midgeland Road to be reopened as the only vehicular access point to Division Lane is from Common Edge Road.

The junction has been closed since 2014 after complaints the route was being used as a rat run by speeding motorists.