One of Preston’s busiest motorway junctions is to see major works under a new government fund.
The Broughton interchange where the M6 and M55 meet, along with the A6, between Fulwood and Broughton, is included in a new £165million road fund.
Limited details are currently available about what’s planned but the M55 Broughton Circle is one of a number of schemes across the UK included under a ‘large renewals structures’ programme.
Read more: M6 Junction 32 entry slip road from M55 to close for 26 nights
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport told Blog Preston: “This project is at an early development stage, and the scope will be set once the current options assessment has concluded.”
Within the government plan the Broughton Circle is included but no timescale is given.
National Highways North West declined to comment when we approached them for any further details – saying it was a Department for Transport scheme.
The new fund lists the schemes as taking place between 2026 to 2031 and it aims to ‘unblock’ major housing and employment sites.
Secretary of State for transport, Heidi Alexander, said: “Too many housing and employment opportunities have stalled for years, held back by the infrastructure that wasn’t there to support them.
“This fund will pave the way for developments that have sat idle for too long, funding the transport links that stalled sites need to get moving and generating new jobs and opportunities for communities that deserve them.
“It is a deliberate choice – and a signal that this Government is serious about removing the barriers to growth.”
National Highways Executive Director Elliot Shaw said: “Reliable roads are crucial to housing developments. They shape where people want to live, where businesses want to invest, and where communities can thrive.
“This fund will help unlock the transport links needed for new homes and jobs and help the government achieve its ambitions on economic growth.”
The government says ‘two-thirds of structures are now over 45 years old, and this unprecedented renewals investment will address critical bridges, viaducts and concrete road surfaces before they reach the end of their life’.
Upgrades to the A582 in South Ribble is also included in the government announcement – although this was already confirmed in summer last year.
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