THE lights and cones on the way into Blackburn town centre from junction six of the M65 junction six at Whitebirk Pennine Reach are starting to be removed.

The top of the new Pennine Reach link road from the Gorse Street and Burnley Road junction up to Furthergate/Accrington Road is now back to two-way traffic.

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Blackburn with Darwen regeneration boss Cllr Phil Riley now expects the traffic lights and cones impeding drivers’ progress along Bottomgate down to Copy Nook and Eanam will be cleared in two to three weeks.

The temporary three-way lights at the junction of Burnley Road and Gorse Street were removed earlier this week.

Similar three-way lights at the temporary roundabout junction of Furthergate and the new link road remain in place while the works are completed.

The newly-opened £4.8million Furthergate Link Road is part of the £40 million Pennine Reach scheme.

Cllr Riley said: “We are now in the finals stage of these works. I would expect completion in two to three weeks with the majority of the temporary traffic lights and cones removed.

“Traffic is now flowing more freely and we will soon see the full benefits of this scheme.”