A contractor responsible for trying to limit tailbacks during Grimsargh’s bridge widening works have been told gridlock on Tuesday was ‘unacceptable’.
Blog Preston understands the operator due to be on site to manually control the temporary lights at Skew Bridge didn’t show up on Tuesday 10 March and then became stuck in the long queues as a result.
Motorists and bus passengers reported their journeys taking more than an hour in some cases on the key route between Preston and Longridge.
Read more: Seventeen roads in Preston scheduled for pre-planned resurfacing or repair projects
Temporary lights returned to the bridge on Monday 9 March lunchtime for six weeks during the final stint of work which is set to be completed in May – more than six months behind schedule.
A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council told Blog Preston: “Work is now underway, and we have instructed our contractor that the temporary lights must be staffed from 7am to 7pm, with manual adjustments made during peak periods.
“Tuesday morning’s failure to have an operator on site before the rush hour was unacceptable, and we have made it clear that the agreed 7am–7pm staffing requirement must be followed for the remainder of the works.”
The temporary lights are due to be manually controlled by AEYates who are undertaking the £2.2million bridge scheme on behalf of the county council to reflect peak-time traffic movements heading to and from the motorway.
An overnight closure of Preston Road is due to take place on Tuesday 17 March and further overnight closures are taking place from mid-April.
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