A NEW £4.1million improvement project aimed at increasing safety and getting rid of pot holes has started on the M65.

The Department for Transport scheme on a one-mile section of the motorway between Blackburn and Hyndburn will see resurfacing completed as well as repairs to five bridges and a new crash barrier installed.

The majority of the work, which is expected to last for more than two months, will take place overnight, between 10pm and 5am.

The section of motorway, between junction six at Whitebirk and seven at Clayton-le-Moors, had been scheduled for improvement works later this year.

But the work has been brought forward because of the poor quality of the surface, made worse by recent poor weather that has seen grit cause further damage to the road.

Matt Sweeting, from the Highways Agency, said the work would improve safety and provide a better driving environment.

It was also hoped to extend the life of the bridges by completing re-waterproofing work.

He said: “We welcome the opportunity to bring forward these repairs and improvements for the M65 in this part of Lancashire.

“The work should also help reduce congestion and lead to more reliable journey times for drivers.”

Mike Damms, the president of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, based just off the M65 at junction seven, said the work was welcome.

He said: “Anyone who drives regularly on this stretch of motorway can feel that it is wearing out.

“But in reality there still needs to be a complete upgrade of the length of the motorway to make it three lanes throughout.”

The work will take place through the night seven days a week with a small amount of daytime work in the verges.

There will be some overnight lane closures for the work and around seven overnight slip-road closures. Signed diversions will be in place for slip road closures.

Around 60,000 vehicles use this stretch of the motorway every day.

During the work, a 50mph speed limit will be in place.