ROAD studies are to be done on the A56 in a bid to address safety issues.

Highways England is conducting a survey into standing water and aquaplaning on the busy road after several collisions.

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It is also looking at improvement proposals to the Sandy Lane junction which joins both carriageways of the A56.

The studies come after Hyndburn MP Graham Jones raised concerns following a serious accident involving one of his constituents and her elderly mother on the Accrington easterly bypass earlier this year.

Gary Makin, traffic management officer with Lancashire Police, also raised concerns about the road layout following the accident.

In a letter to Mr Jones he said there had been several collisions on the carriageways around the Rising Bridge and Woolpack roundabouts, the majority of which were due to speeding and standing water on the carriageway.

He said this had already led to a reduction in the speed limit to 50mph, the use of additional signs and improved road surface work.

Mr Makin said collisions have occurred on the crossover points where vehicles carry out U-turns, but a study by Highways England into the “stopping up” of the crossover points had not materialised.

Mr Jones said: “The A56 has long been a road where you can ‘feel’ the speed of the traffic, literally.

“It feels as though high-powered bikes certainly as well as opportune motorists speed along at some rate.”

Speeding traffic has been raised by other of his constituents, Mr Jones said.

Mike Wilson, operations director for Highways England, said engineers were consulting on areas of the network in need of improvements as part of their route strategies programme.

A spokeswoman confirmed they are also conducting two studies - one about aquaplaning and standing water and one on improving the stretch around Sandy Lane.