Traffic lights blamed for queues on Whitebirk Drive near Blackburn

Whitebirk Drive runs past Trident Business Park and Hyndburn Retail Park, linking on to the Whitebirk roundabout and the M65.

Lancashire County Council said the issue had been investigated by a contractor earlier this month but urged drivers to report any further concerns they may have.

Drivers said they were regularly being forced to wait 25 minutes for a five-minute journey, and believed traffic light timings were causing the gridlock by letting through only a handful of cars at a time.

Traffic was backed up along Whitebirk Drive, with drivers joining the route having little option but to sit in the queue until they reached the traffic lights. The situation appears to be particularly bad from Monday to Thursday.

The congestion has forced drivers to seek alternative routes onto Blakewater Road, past The Range and the police station.

Lancashire County Council, which manages the route, said engineers had been on site on Ocotber 9 and the contractor confirmed that 'the junction was operating as expected'.

One driver who uses the route regularly said: “The traffic light timings appear to be incorrect and only allow around three cars through at a time, resulting in traffic backing up all the way past Currys.

“I leave work at 4.30pm from Whitebirk Industrial Estate, and it now takes me around 25 minutes just to reach the roundabout. Previously, this journey took approximately five minutes.

“This severely restricts access to the motorway during peak hours, causing traffic to back up as far as Whalley Old Road and Brownhill.

“Many of us have contacted Lancashire County Council (LCC) and reported the issue, but unfortunately, nothing appears to have been done. I have also contacted Blackburn with Darwen Council, but they have passed the matter on to LCC.”

He said the problem had been ongoing: “This problem has persisted for approximately six months and is particularly acute during evening rush hour when commuters are leaving for home. As we enter the winter months with reduced daylight, the risk to public safety is heightened.”

In recent weeks the problem appears to have to have subsided but delays remain on some days.

Drivers said they had seen a marked change with it being 'not as bad' as in previous months. On Tuesdayt night there long queues again, drivers confirmed.

A Lancashire County Council spokesperson said: "We asked our contractor to visit the site on 9 October following concerns that had been raised about the junction's operation.

"Following an inspection, the contractor confirmed that the junction was operating as expected in its primary mode of operation and that no faults were identified.

"However, we take any reports from road users seriously. If there are ongoing concerns or evidence of a continuing issue, we would encourage those affected to contact us so that we can investigate further."