Improvement work is to start on Watt Street Bridge in the Ribble Valley village of Sabden, Lancashire.

The bridge carries Watt Street over Sabden Brook and is located next to the junction with Whalley Road.

Lancashire County Council will improve the safety of the existing footways by removing the bollards and installing higher kerbs with a metal rail which will act as an improved vehicle barrier. The masonry arch will also be strengthened to help better distribute the loads from traffic using the bridge.

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A three-way traffic light system will be in place on Watt Street and Whalley Road from Monday 19 September 2022 for around two weeks.

The work will take place on one side of the bridge and then switch to the other side so that one footpath and one traffic lane will remain open during the works.

County Councillor Charles Edwards, Lancashire's cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "This work is necessary because inspections of the bridge have identified some structural issues with the masonry arch that our engineers need to attend to. We are also taking the opportunity to improve the safety of the footways.

"I'd like to apologise to the residents of Sabden for the obvious inconvenience that they’ll experience. I hope they'll understand that for us, their safety will always be our main priority."