A £500,000 scheme to expand one of East Lancashire’s most congested motorway junctions has got under way.

The Highways Agency scheme will add a second lane to the westbound exit slip at junction five of the M65 at Blackburn.

Mark Mosley, from the project, said: “This junction serving Blackburn and surrounding communities is one of the busiest along the M65, particularly at peak times.

“This scheme will reduce congestion and queuing at the roundabout as well as reducing any queuing of traffic on the main carriageway wanting to exit here.

“We appreciate that there may be some disruption to drivers’ journeys as we carry out the work but we are working hard to minimise those by restricting key work to off-peak periods.

“The work will be finished next month and motorway users, as well as other users of the roundabout, should quickly appreciate the benefits.”

As well as adding the extra lane to the exit sliproad other improvements will include new barriers, lighting and traffic signals on both the eastbound and westbound exit slip roads off the M65.

The roundabout itself will also be improved with new lining and anti-skid surfacing and the addition of a short, second lane on the exit from the roundabout onto the A6177 towards Guide.

Work on the scheme is being done 1overnight with occasional closures of roundabout lanes, the exit slip roads and the northbound A6177 from the roundabout.