4:45pm Friday 8th March 2013
By Telegraph comment
ANYONE who drives to the eastern end of the M65 will have experienced the bottleneck that is Vivary Way and North Valley Road, Colne.
After moving swiftly across East Lancashire, it’s enormously frustrating to find yourself leaving the motorway and being reduced to little more than walking pace for a couple of miles.
Tackling this and several of the area’s other major transport problems is the aim of a new organisation formed jointly by Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool councils.
Transport for Lancashire has also targeted upgrading rail services between Clitheroe, Blackburn, Darwen, Bolton and Manchester and improving the A56 between the M66 and M65.
The fact that the three local authorities have joined forces is good news. For too long, presentation of our case for such projects to government has been handicapped by councils fighting each other, while Greater Manchester has been able to show a united, and therefore stronger, front.
Let’s hope they continue to work together and that the initial government budget of £35million over four years is enough to deliver sorely- needed improvements.
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