PUB landlords have slammed the county council after it was revealed that one of East Lancashire’s busiest roads was to close for the third time this year.

Lancashire County Council (LCC) has confirmed it expects Grane Road, which links Blackburn to Haslingden and runs through Belthorn and Jackson Heights, will be closed again later this year while major road safety works are completed.

Public access to the road was prevented for three weeks at the end of August and beginning of September.

But some of the modifications were not finished as highways workers were ‘beaten’ by the bad weather.

Becky Prince, landlady at The Grey Mare Inn, said her business relied on passing trade and that the proposed closure was ‘unnecessary’.

She said: “It’s an absolute joke. I think they could keep it open and put up traffic lights.

“The closure will affect us a lot. Last time it was closed we took a quarter of what we would do normally when it’s open.

"It’s such a busy road and so many people use it.”

Brian Hodgkiss, landlord at The Dog Inn, Belthorn Road, Belthorn, added: “It’s seriously bad news for us. We were 50 per cent down last time it shut.

“I’ve never had a problem with the work being done, but they could have gone about it a lot better.

"Last time we had to fight to get our name on the sign they put up to say the pubs will remain open.”

A total of £300,000 has been spent on new lines, additional road markings and new signs and cats’ eyes on the road.

Daniel Herbert, a traffic and transportation officer for LCC, said staff would be notifying residents and businesses in advance.

And he explained why the original work was not completed in time, but could not specify when the next closure would take place or how long it will last for.

He said: “We had a problem with the weather and about 50 per cent of the lining still needs to be finished.

“We don’t have a date for when it will be closed yet because we need to make sure we plan the work for when there is some decent weather and when we can get the workers back.

“We’re getting a temporary closure order, which will be for two months, but we won’t be closing the road for that long.

"We estimate it will be for a few days.”

Motorists travelling to Blackburn from Haslingden can use the A56/M65 as an alternative route.