WORK was due to begin today on the £2.5million missing link in Blackburn's orbital route.

At a cost of £5,000 a metre, opposition councillors had claimed the road was too expensive.

But council leaders at Blackburn with Darwen insist the road extension is essential if the town centre is to prosper.

The roade, which is expected to take 18 months to complete, will run from the end of Barbara Castle Way to Montague Street.

It will mean that the town centre loses several car parks, which are in the path of the new road, although new car parks have been opened further out of town to replace them.

Starting from Copy Nook, the orbital route includes Higher Eanam, Eanam, Barbara Castle Way, plus the new extension to and then along Montague Street, across to Freckleton Street, Canterbury Street, Lower Audley and Higher Audley.

Much of the money for the project has come from the Government.

The newly-updated town centre action plan called for the completion of the orbital route to keep through-traffic away from the shopping districts.