ROAD closures will be put in place as work continues on the much-delayed Furthergate link road scheme in Blackburn.

Work began last month with the site compound being set up and commencement of earth works offline behind Burnley Road.

And later this month, Gorse Street will be closed for drainage works.

The construction of the new highway, bypassing Burnley Road, was halted in 2016 because of a row between the council and Tesco over a small piece of land off Gorse Street on the car park belonging to the chain’s Hill Street store.

Planning and highways committee members unanimously approved the plans earlier this year, enabling construction work on the the final 600-yard ‘missing’ section of the £4.8million Furthergate Link Road to start.

Construction of the ‘missing link’ is expected to take six months using £2million of cash provided by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

The works will connect up the main no-stopping ‘red route’ along Bottomgate and Copy Nook into Blackburn town centre with the Red Lion Roundabout and the M65 Junction 6.

A Blackburn with Darwen Council roads spokesman said: "As works progress, particularly around the Gorse Street area where the new link road will tie into the existing roads at Gorse Street/Burnley Road, there will impacts on traffic movements.

The first of these will be a road closure on Gorse Street, which will be necessary to complete a drainage connection.

"To complete this connection, we will need to close Gorse Street between the junction of Burnley Road and the Tesco entrance from October 22-29.

"Advance warnings will be going out this week and the diversion route will be signed whilst the closure is in place."