RESIDENTS of a notorious East Lancashire road are celebrating victory now new signs have been put up to divert traffic to other routes.

Signs directing Blackburn-bound traffic on the A56 Haslingden by-pass to use Grane Road have been removed, more than five months after the Highways Agency first agreed to change them.

The exit signs at Spring Vale have been changed to read "Haslingden, Darwen A677" instead of "Blackburn South".

New signs have been erected directing lorries heading for Blackburn to continue along the A56 instead of turning off on to Grane Road.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said the agency always aimed to listen to local residents and improve road safety. He said: "We can't force the lorries to follow the signs but hopefully they will take note of them. We hope this will improve things and we will monitor the situation."

Grane Road residents in Belthorn and Haslingden have campaigned to stop traffic using the road as a short-cut since the M65 extension opened.

They were also celebrating last week when work began on safety measures which they hope will cut the number of accidents on the road, where three people have died in two years.

Grane Residents Association chairman Tim Barlow said: "We are pleased that things are starting to happen and that the councils and other bodies have listened to us.

"I don't think the new signs are going to change the behaviour of people who already use the Grane as a rat run but it's early days and we are keeping our fingers crossed. It's certainly a step in the right direction."

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