TRAFFIC problems between Blackburn, Bury and Manchester have eased this week after work was completed on the M65’s Junction 8.

Work by United Utilities to carry out water main work across the Grane Road near Heap Clough started on Wednesday causing major tailbacks in both directions to Guide and the A56 towards the M66.

The carriageway has been reduced to single file controlled by temporary traffic lights but work is due to finish on Friday.

The jams were worsened by the closure to eastbound traffic of Junction 8 of the M65 and the A56 near Accrington for environmental works.

Traffic was being sent to Junction 10 for Burnley to use the roundabout to return to the Westbound carriageway to get to the A56 and M66 causing bottlenecks and delays.

Junction 8 reopened on Saturday after the completion of improvements to protect wildlife started in January.

Highways England spent £400,000 to stop carriageway pollution and debris reaching the River Calder adjacent to the motorway.

A study had revealed that M65 surface water drained into Shorten Brook and then the River Calder.

The study also revealed that levels of zinc and copper in this water could be reduced by introducing equipment which separates debris and pollutants from motorway ‘run-off’.