£24m work on bypass to start by end of 2015

Work on building the £24m Broughton Bypass will begin by the end of the year after the Government gave it the green light.

County Hall chiefs have been told they can go ahead with a controversial land grab following a public inquiry.

The Secretary of State for Transport announced the decision after recommendations from HM Inspector Diane Lewis who heard evidence from council officers and objectors at the hearing in Preston in April.

The news was welcomed by Coun John Fillis, LCC’s cabinet member for highways and transport, who said: “I’m pleased with the decision which allows us to progress with this much-needed scheme.

“Congestion has been an issue in Broughton village for the last 40 years and traffic has continued to grow with more than 22,000 vehicles now passing through on the A6 every day.

Construction of the full bypass would reduce traffic travelling through the centre of Broughton on Garstang Road by up to 90 per cent.”

It has been claimed the new road, which will run through farmland to the east of the village, will improve journey times for motorists by creating a new route from the Broughton roundabout at Junction 1 of the M55 to the A6 north of the village.

Coun Jennifer Mein, leader of LCC, added: “The road network in north Preston is already overloaded as it was not designed to cope with this pace of growth. The bypass will make an enormous difference to Broughton village.”