A BUSINESS owner is unhappy with a constant loud banging noise being emitted from a structural fault on the M65.

Anthony Howard owns Redcap Garage on Blackburn Road, Blackburn, underneath the M65 bridge that crosses the A679 between Accrington and Blackburn.

As cars drive over the bridge he says it emits a loud bang.

He said: “You have to hear it to understand just how bad it is. The Highways Agency have supposedly repaired the joint that they believed was causing the noise more over two weeks ago.

“My customers are even asking what on earth is that noise? It’s so bad. I wouldn’t mind but I’ve been complaining about this since May, and it’s still just as bad as it’s ever been.

“It could quite possibly be causing damage to wheels and tyres up there, whatever it is, and it needs sorting. They just don’t seem bothered and I’m dissatisfied with whatever work they’ve done as the noise hasn’t stopped.

“They’ve said it’ll get fixed, but it hasn’t and when you’re down here working and it’s so loud, it can be really frustrating.”

A spokesperson for National Highways said: “We carried out emergency repairs to a pothole in lane one of the southbound M65, close to the bridge expansion joint between junctions six and five, however heavy rainfall caused this temporary maintenance to fail.

“We are now arranging for investigations into the cause of the pothole and a more permanent repair, to be carried out at the same time, including full resurfacing.

"We will continue to monitor the M65 during regular safety patrols until the repairs are completed.”

National Highways said they will issue a further update “in due course” regarding the start of the resurfacing, which is expected to take three months to complete.

A bridge expansion joint is a device used to allow for the heat-induced expansion and reduction that takes place in various states of weather, which is believed to be causing the noise when driven over.