Plan to solve problems at 'nightmare' Blackburn junction

11:00am Saturday 29th September 2012 in News

PLANS for solving a ‘nightmare’ motorway junction affecting a village could see inter-linked traffic lights installed.

Queuing traffic at the Junction Five roundabout of the M65 at Guide, Blackburn, has made life for Belthorn residents and other commuters a misery.

Queues around the junction roundabout have seen miles of traffic queue up Grane Road , with queue jumpers speeding through the adjacent Belthorn Village.

Road engineers are investigating solutions for the plan, and one possibility is ‘intelligent’ traffic lights at School Lane, the next roundabout along. Blackburn with Darwen Council are completing surveys and investigations into whether controlling School Lane traffic turning right towards the motorway will ease congestion. The theory is that queues from School Lane, through both roundabouts and onto the M65 are blocking Grane Road traffic.

If given the go-ahead, new lights at School Lane will be linked with existing Junction Five lights to ensure the roundabouts remain clear. The lights sequence could also be timed to specifically address the rush hour problem from the Grane Road, which peaks at 8.30am.

Coun Dave Harling who oversees Blackburn with Darwen's roads, said: “We are working with Lancashire County Council and the Highways Authority to find a joint solution. It could be we use signals at both Junction Five and again at School Lane to keep the traffic flow moving. We are evaluating proposals at the moment. After the autumn, funding would need to be found for the work.” Lancashire County Council, the Highways Authority and Blackburn with Darwen Council are expected to meet up shortly to discuss a number of options.

Coun Peter Britcliffe, who is representing Belthorn residents said he would be meeting with Belthorn Residents Committee on Tuesday night to gather feedback from the village. He said: “My intention is to get a meeting set up between residents and these agencies so they can look at all the proposals put forward. It’s usually the case that people who live in the area know wwhat’s best for the area.”

Comments(13)

burner says...
11:37am Sat 29 Sep 12

Bet you £50 it will be a mess and it gets altered several times once installed.

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JayEss says...
12:02pm Sat 29 Sep 12

Maybe if people didn't block the roundabout exits then more traffic could move.
I'm frequently waiting for the roundabout to clear so I can get on the M65 towards Preston from Grane Road. If people didn't block the roundabout then that traffic would move.
A separate lane for Grane to M65 would also be a good idea but more expensive.

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alf-abett says...
1:35pm Sat 29 Sep 12

JayEss wrote:
Maybe if people didn't block the roundabout exits then more traffic could move.
I'm frequently waiting for the roundabout to clear so I can get on the M65 towards Preston from Grane Road. If people didn't block the roundabout then that traffic would move.
A separate lane for Grane to M65 would also be a good idea but more expensive.
Quite right JeyEss but don't worry we won't ask you to pay for the extra lane it can come out of the 10 billion aid budget that the government is allocating to countries some of which are richer than the UK, now don't that make you feel better!!!

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fredelliottssausage says...
1:40pm Sat 29 Sep 12

If the same dumb-a## Councillors didn't keep piling more and more businesses and hospitals and schools onto the hopelessly inadequate road system that leads from there then we wouldn't see such traffic problems. Congratulations to all concerned on opening your latest traffic flow destroyer, the stupid red carbuncle excuse for a school. All we need now is some more 'jobs jobs jobs' retail and leisure units by the 'soccerdome' and your quest to totally choke that area of Blackburn will be complete.

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goz says...
1:58pm Sat 29 Sep 12

fredelliottssausage wrote:
If the same dumb-a## Councillors didn't keep piling more and more businesses and hospitals and schools onto the hopelessly inadequate road system that leads from there then we wouldn't see such traffic problems. Congratulations to all concerned on opening your latest traffic flow destroyer, the stupid red carbuncle excuse for a school. All we need now is some more 'jobs jobs jobs' retail and leisure units by the 'soccerdome' and your quest to totally choke that area of Blackburn will be complete.
Couldn't agree more !!!! Ignorant planning committees and numpty road designers.

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Panther33 says...
6:58pm Sat 29 Sep 12

A designated slip road off the grane road onto the entry slip west bound will be the best solution to this problem, but it needs to be a free flowing slip so if anyone wants to queue jump they will have to go down the M65.
Simples

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POW WOW says...
7:54pm Sat 29 Sep 12

Just put a circus in the middle of the mickey mouse roundabout....... that'll keep them all entertained for a while !!!!!!

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disgusted tunbridge wells says...
10:07pm Sat 29 Sep 12

The last thing we need are traffic lights, Grane Road should be two lanes wide westbound to the roundabout and stop saying people cut through Belthorn, they don't

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happycyclist says...
11:14am Sun 30 Sep 12

Get a job nearer to where you live. Cut down on fuel, congestion, pollution and stress, and have more time and money to enjoy life instead of sitting around in traffic jams.

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DEO VOLENTE says...
11:19am Sun 30 Sep 12

Put the blame where it lies. This is a further example of incompetance, bad planning and design in Blackburn. Also never forget that the people in charge of the traffic system in Blackburn have have created a gridlocked monster. The political eleite that have destroyed Blackburn are not working in the interests of the Town or the surrounding areas. They are too busy undertaking diversity training to worry about the views and opinions of a small "white" village. I wonder if it would be different if the village of Belthorn was occupied by Asians? Perhaps there would be some action taken then! Never mind we will probably find out in about 10 to 15 years when the mosque is built opposite the Dog Inn.

Deus Vobiscum

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jack daniels says...
1:46pm Sun 30 Sep 12

DEO VOLENTE wrote:
Put the blame where it lies. This is a further example of incompetance, bad planning and design in Blackburn. Also never forget that the people in charge of the traffic system in Blackburn have have created a gridlocked monster. The political eleite that have destroyed Blackburn are not working in the interests of the Town or the surrounding areas. They are too busy undertaking diversity training to worry about the views and opinions of a small "white" village. I wonder if it would be different if the village of Belthorn was occupied by Asians? Perhaps there would be some action taken then! Never mind we will probably find out in about 10 to 15 years when the mosque is built opposite the Dog Inn.

Deus Vobiscum
I seem to think that capita have a hand in designing the roads around Blackburn.

Also, it is not the inept council that 'force' thousands of cars down this road on a daily basis - it's people commuting by private transport (well said happy c) and an underfunded transport structure.

Oh for a magic wand...

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DEO VOLENTE says...
9:51pm Sun 30 Sep 12

Capita, Crapita! As I said do youreally believe that the powers that be are interested in addressing the problems of a "white outpost"? Dream on! I would wager that within 10 years Belthorn will have gone the same way as the Rubble Valley. A mosque is imminent and then you may see some action! For the time being you will have to get used to being ignored, like everybody who has a brain in the wonderful rainbow town of Blackburn with Darwen, P.S. I have heard that the Dog Inn will be on the market soon. Watch out for the green onion.

Deus Vobiscum

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Darwen Malc says...
10:42pm Sun 30 Sep 12

I totally agree with 'fredelliottssausage
'! Too many businesses and the hospital and a totally inadequate road system. The hosital should have had it's own dedicated sliproad (cul de sac) built at the eastern end of Jcn 5 of the M65 for hospital workers/ambulances & visitors.

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