THE sliproads for Blackburn’s Junction 6 of the M65 will be shut at night for seven days from August 13 to allow the opening of the first part of a £100million business park the following week.

The closures have been approved to allow the installation of a new traffic signal gantry on the Whitebirk roundabout for the access road to the Frontier Park development.

The service area on the 90-acre site, comprising Starbucks, KFC and Greggs drive through-outlets, a Spar shop and BP petrol station, is scheduled to open on Monday, August 20.

Work will take place outside the morning and afternoon peaks, between 7pm and 6am, to minimise disruption to residents and commuters.

The work is to accommodate forecast traffic increases from the new development of five or more warehouses and a 150-bedroom hotel and conference and banqueting centre complex by Blackburn-based Euro Garages.

The business park on the Blackburn/Hyndburn border has permission for more than one million square feet of industrial space with two major buildings now under construction and the service area at the fitting-out stage.

Half the roads are complete and Frontier Avenue, the main access road, is now ready for traffic.

Zuber Issa, founder and joint chief executive of Euro Garages, said, “Our facilities at Frontier Park represent a new standard in quality and choice for customers as befitting this busy, prime gateway location to Blackburn.”

The full development, due for completion by 2022, aims to create 2,000 jobs.

Cllr Miles Parkinson, leader of Hyndburn Council, said: “This is excellent news. This development is now well on track to create hundreds of jobs for Hyndburn, Blackburn and the wider East Lancashire area.”

Blackburn with Darwen borough regeneration boss Cllr Phil Riley said: “There will be some minor inconvenience to motorists because of the closures and gantry work."

“In the long run it will be well worth it in terms of employment in the borough and surrounding area.”

The first warehouse, the 185,500 sq ft FP-One, is due for completion this year.

Construction has started on a second 135,000 sq ft building, Pioneer Point, for occupation in March.

Negotiations are under way with potential occupants of both.

Frontier Park Development Manager Alex Kenwright said “We currently have 300,000 sq ft of warehouse space under construction at Frontier Park and we have got consent for one million in all!

“Occupier demand has increased substantially over the summer. We have developed a masterplan which can accommodate a wide range of requirements.”

Initial works have been undertaken by Nelson-Based Barnfield Construction.