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Three busy Preston junctions are to get new traffic lights designed to make journeys more reliable – but the projects will cost £230,000 more than originally estimated.
The trio of schemes – all at points along the A6 Garstang Road, north of the city – are part of Lancashire County Council’s programme of upgrades to its traffic control kit.
At each of the junctions, some of the sets of lights – and the technology underpinning them – have been in operation for more than two decades and are in need of wholesale replacement.
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Overhauls are planned at the A6’s junctions with Blackbull Lane and Sharoe Green Lane, near the Royal Preston; Blackpool Road, close to Moor Park; and Moor Lane and North Road, on the edge of the university quarter.
The latter project will need an extra £130,000 spending on it and the other two an additional £50,000 each.
The decision notice in which the extra costs are set out does not reveal the overall bill for the schemes.
The increase will be funded from the postponement of a traffic light upgrade in Accrington at the junction of Eastgate, Avenue Parade and Stanley Street. It was found that there was currently insufficient budget for that project in any case.
A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: “We’re currently planning a series of major refurbishment schemes in Preston to replace and upgrade traffic signals at key junctions that are coming to the end of their life and are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
“This is a significant investment in new technology that will aim to make people’s journeys more efficient and reliable.
“The work will also include bringing pedestrian facilities up to the latest standards to improve safety at these junctions.
“Following detailed planning and design work, we now have a better understanding of the scope and costs. Subsequently, our original indicative estimates have been revised.
“The schemes are expected to be delivered in 2025 and we will share more details with the public in due course.”
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