Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal partners welcome A582 funding boost
Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal partners have welcomed a £57.9m funding boost to deliver a major road scheme to ease congestion and boost economic growth.
The A582 South Ribble Western Distributor Upgrade was included in a wave of transport infrastructure projects announced by the government earlier this month.
The aim of the project is to reduce congestion along the A582 Major Roads Network route between the M6, M61 and M65 terminus at Cuerden and Preston city centre. This in turn will support economic growth by providing better access to existing employment sites and support the delivery of new homes.
A planning application to improve the Croston Road junction of the A582, which is still due to be determined, was submitted by Lancashire County Council in March.
The proposed changes at this junction aim to enhance safety and traffic flow by replacing the existing two roundabouts with three T-shaped signal-controlled junctions. The proposed scheme will also improve safety and connectivity for walking and cycling with the introduction of signal-controlled crossings, including across the A582 itself.
Bus journeys approaching from both north and south of the junction will also benefit from bus priority detection, helping to keep buses moving.
The project is part of the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal – a once-in-a-lifetime government funding programme that is helping to transform the local area – and is estimated to cost around £70m. Lancashire County Council has already committed up to £19 million towards these improvements.
County Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, cabinet member for Highways and Transport, Lancashire County Council, said:
"This is an important milestone in our plans to deliver substantial improvements on the A582 in South Ribble and Preston, which will significantly reduce congestion and improve travel times in this busy part of the county.
"This project is part of broader plans we are undertaking with our partners, Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council and Homes England under the Lancashire City Deal, to upgrade the A582 corridor between Preston and the M65, supporting economic growth and providing better amenities for buses, pedestrians, and cyclists.
"We submitted a strong outline business case to the government and have now secured £57.9m for the project.
"We are now moving ahead to finalise development activity and submit a Full Business Case to government. Should this be approved, this will release the government's funding to allow works to get underway, subject to planning approval being granted."
Councillor Valerie Wise, cabinet member for Community Wealth Building and City Regeneration. Preston City Council, said:
“The City Deal for Central Lancashire has been transformational to date, improving transport infrastructure and connectivity, reducing congestion and pollution on our roads, and creating thousands of new jobs and homes, many of which are affordable and social housing.
"We welcome this new opportunity for further investment and continued redevelopment in Central Lancashire.”
Councillor Matthew Tomlinson, Leader of South Ribble Borough Council, said:
“We always welcome investment into the infrastructure in the borough and are pleased that the Government has committed this funding. Continued growth and development in the area while welcome has meant that more and more people choose to travel across our borough, and we hope that this investment continues leading to the creation of a dual carriageway along the length of the A582 which we continue to believe is needed to meet future demand.”
Simon Herring, Northern Development Director, Homes England, said:
"This funding from Homes England will help to deliver vital infrastructure that will ease congestion, making it easier to unlock new homes and ultimately drive economic growth in the area.
"This agreement is testament to the ambitions of Lancashire County Council, South Ribble Borough Council, and Preston City Council to deliver the Lancashire City Deal and is a prime example of how we work closely with local authorities to help them create thriving places that people can be proud to call home."