THE Accrington-born surveyor and engineer responsible for building Britain’s first stretch of motorway and the construction of the M65 has died aged 92.

Harry Yeadon will be buried tomorrow at St Cuthbert’s Parish Church in Lytham.

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Educated at Accrington Grammar School, Mr Yeadon went to Manchester University. His academic career was interrupted by the Second World War where, as a Royal Engineer, he was plunged into the fierce conflicts of the North Italian campaign seeing the early Autostrada.

In 1948 he joined Lancashire County Council’s survey department, visiting Germany to see their new autobahns.

His Burnley-born boss Sir James Drake delegated Mr Yeadon supervision of the construction of the Preston bypass, Britain’s first section of motorway, now part of the M6, from 1956 to 1958.

On Sir James’ retirement, he took took over as county surveyor and bridgemaster.

One of his final tasks before his retirement in 1985 was building the M65 linking the M6 to East Lancashire.

Mr Yeadon leaves a wife Sybil, two sons Mark and Paul, and four grandsons.

He was a keen sailor and, in his youth, a rugby player.

Mark said: “My father was proud of local government and public service.

“He always had time for other people and was a man of great warmth and some wit.

“He never took himself too seriously.”

At the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Preston by-pass, Mr Yeadon told the Lancashire Telegraph the county was a ‘guinea pig’ for UK motorways.

He said: “It was a very exciting time. We all recognised it was a golden age of highways construction.

“We were keen to see Lancashire improve.”

The by-pass and its 23 bridges took two years to construct, meeting its completion date despite appalling weather.

The link road into Blackpool from the M55, another of his final projects, was named ‘Yeadon Way’ in his honour, as was the pub at its end.

Lancashire County Council chairman Kevin Ellard said: “Mr Yeadon worked very hard to further improve the road network in the county, whilst embracing new functions such as transport co-ordination and waste disposal.

“In 2005, he published a book entitled ‘Building the Network in the North West of England’.”