Grimsargh Skew Bridge widening enters final phase with reduced disruption
There will be relief for residents and commuters as the project to widen Grimsargh Skew Bridge enters its final phase, with less disruption expected in future.
Lancashire County Council has worked closely with contractor AE Yates to revise the remaining schedule and minimise the need for temporary traffic lights and road closures.
There are now no plans to close Preston Road during the daytime, as had previously been proposed.
Instead, the road will be closed overnight for up to 10 weekday nights between 23 February and 6 March, from 10pm to 5.45am. These overnight closures will affect the final four bus services each evening between Longridge and Preston. Passenger information will be shared closer to the time.
The temporary traffic lights currently in place over the bridge will be removed in the run-up to Christmas, and will only be needed again for around 2 weeks from 4 to 19 February 2026.
The project, which began in June, aims to improve traffic flow on Preston Road for all vehicles and boost public transport reliability by removing the current pinch point at the narrow skew bridge.
The programme has taken longer than originally anticipated due to the challenging nature of the site and some unforeseen issues encountered during early phases of construction. These have now been resolved, and work is progressing well.
Piling work – which means putting deep supports into the ground – is expected to finish this week. After that, construction will begin on the bridge itself, starting with the southern end.
The road is expected to reopen to normal traffic in early March 2026, with the full project scheduled for completion in April.
Matt Townsend, Lancashire County Council director of highways and transport, said:
"We know the importance of Preston Road to travel in this area, and I’m pleased that we've been able to revise the schedule to minimise further disruption during the final stage of the project.
"It's a complex piece of work and, though we planned for it very carefully, the delivery has not been as straightforward as we would have wished for.
"I'm grateful for all the feedback we've received from residents about the planning and communication of this scheme, both positive and negative, and we'll look to learn from this for similar projects in future.
"I’d like to thank people for their patience throughout this work, and look forward to seeing the difference it will make to everyone's journeys when finished.”
You can keep up to date on progress at:
www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/strategies-policies-plans/roads-parking-and-travel/major-transport-schemes/grimsargh-skew-bridge