Improvements to Skew Bridge and Preston Road

We are carrying out work to improve Grimsargh Skew Bridge and nearby junctions on Preston Road.

This project will improve journey times for everyone and is being funded as part of our Bus Service Improvement Plan to make public transport more reliable. 

Planned work

• Widening the bridge so that all vehicles, including larger vehicles such as buses and HGVs, can easily cross the bridge in both directions without having to give way. 
• Installing a pedestrian crossing near Grimsargh St Michael’s Primary School to ensure people can cross safely. 
• Building two mini-roundabouts at the junctions with Ribblesdale Drive and Whittingham Lane to better manage the flow of traffic and improve residential access. 

View a detailed plan of the improvements

Traffic management

We recognise the importance of Preston Road to local travel, and are working to minimise the need for road closures and temporary traffic lights.

Temporary traffic lights are currently in place over the bridge for safety as the footbridge including its parapet (the wall at the side) has been removed to make way for the widening to be installed.

The lights will be removed in the run-up to Christmas. They will be needed again for 2 weeks from 4 to 19 February.

Work to date (updated Tuesday 18 November)

June/July

Site compound set up at St Michael's Church, and preparations for work to begin.

July

Start of work on the bridge with the demolition of the western footway and preparations to install the new widened section.

August

Installation of a new mini-roundabout at the junction of Whittingham Lane and Preston Road.

September

Work to reroute drainage beneath the bridge away from the new footings which will support the bridge widening. This additional work has been needed as excavations beneath the bridge found drainage chambers which were not recorded on historic plans. As a result, we have had to change the original schedule for the remaining work.

October

Piling work beneath the bridge to construct the foundations for the extended section, along with additional drainage work on school playing field.

November/December

Piling work continues, prioritising the southern abutment to enable removal of the temporary traffic signals before Christmas.

Future work which may affect your journey

December/January/ February

Construction of bridge widening continues. Pedestrian crossing to be installed next to Grimsargh St Michael's Primary School.

Preston Road will be closed overnight on Wednesday 7 January from 10pm to 5.45am to allow a crane to lift concrete beams into position on the widened section of the bridge.

March/April

Removal of existing bridge parapet, and construction of new road surface. A new mini-roundabout will be installed at the junction of Preston Road and Ribblesdale Drive.

To allow for the resurfacing, Preston 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.

We expect to reopen Preston Road to normal traffic in early March 2026, with the full project scheduled for completion by April.

Diversions

Vehicles

During the closure of Preston Road a signed diversion suitable for all vehicles, including HGVs, will be in place via Preston Road (B6242), James Towers Way (A6), Whittingham Lane (B5269), and Cumeragh Lane (B5269).

Local traffic is expected to use a shorter route via Whittingham Lane (C359), Haighton Green Lane (C349), D’urton Lane (C349), Eastway (B6241), Andertons Way (B6242), Bluebell Way (B6242), Longridge Road/Preston Road (B6243) and vice versa.

Local drivers can use shorter routes.

Pedestrians

Pedestrian access along Preston Road will stay open via the Skew Bridge footbridge throughout the work, though there may be short-term diversions.

Pedestrian routes to St Michael's Primary School from the car park of Grimsargh St Michael’s Church will remain largely unchanged, while those under the bridge will be redirected to a temporary controlled crossing next to the school. This will later be upgraded to become the new permanent pedestrian crossing. 

Public transport

To maintain public transport connections when Preston Road is closed during the October school half-term break, a shuttle bus will operate between Grimsargh and Longridge, timed to connect with a service which will run between Longridge and Preston via Whittingham. A further service will operate between Preston Bus Station and Redscar.

We will update this website with a link to the full details and service timetables when available nearer the time of the closure.

Contact us

If you have any queries please email grimsarghbridge@lancashire.gov.uk or call our customer service centre on 0300 123 6780.