Blackburn road works set to start for £2m roundabout project

In April, Blackburn with Darwen Council announced a contractor had been selected to oversee the £2 million roundabout that is being built on the northeastern end of town, next to the large Sunny Bower housing development.

This four-arm roundabout will allow safer access to the site near Whalley Old Road, where 1,250 homes will be built over the next 20 years.

More than 100 of these are already under construction by Vistry and Bovis Homes.

However, the prospect of spending the next six months with no choice but to follow a poorly surfaced diversion route has left some nearby residents concerned.

The access to the housing development currently requires large machinery to turn off the busy Whalley Old Road (Image: Will Morgan)

 Ian Sykes, the chair of a residents’ group that opposed Sunny Bower’s creation, had raised concerns about the diversion onto Blackburn Old Road, which he argued needs to be resurfaced due to ‘numerous potholes, uneven surfaces, and general deterioration.’

But, in the two months since George Cox & Sons were selected to oversee the £2m construction, majority funded by a £1.5 million council investment, the roundabout project appears to have been fine-tuned.

Residents and motorists will be able to continue using Whalley Old Road, with two-way traffic lights planned for the majority of the disruption, rather than a full-scale closure and diversion along Blackburn Old Road.

165 homes are already under construction (Image: Will Morgan)

Though, as this can be a busy route into Blackburn, motorists using Whalley Old Road may want to plan for delays that will inevitably be caused by these essential roadworks.

There were no signs of preparation at the site of the roundabout project this week, but there was a notice warning residents that the nearby layby and vehicle turning point would be closed from June 15, with the works commencing a week later on June 22.

Simon Jones, growth programme director at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “The new roundabout and pedestrian improvement scheme at Whalley Old Road is expected to get underway in late June/early July 2026, with completion planned for early 2027.

“We have appointed a contractor to deliver the works and manage traffic throughout the project.

"Every effort will be made to keep Whalley Old Road open, with access maintained wherever possible using temporary two-way traffic signals.

“We recognise that this work may cause some disruption and would like to thank residents and those travelling through the area for their patience.

"Any road closures will be kept to a minimum and are most likely to take place towards the end of the scheme to allow for resurfacing.

“Advance notice and signed diversion routes will be in place where closures are required.’’