End in sight for Preston's Ringway nightmare - here's what highways bosses say about it reopening fully

Lancashire County Council has announced that after months of roadworks, Ringway will soon reopen with two lanes running in both directions.

As part of a scheme aimed at improving public transport and connecting Friargate to the city centre, Ringway from it’s junction with Corporation Street to the crossroads with the A6 has been reduced to one lane in each direction since February, causing traffic to crawl throughout the day.

So what’s happening?

But now, LCC has announced that both lanes in each direction will be available once resurfacing is complete – with a date for this to finish touted as November 18.

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: "As part of the ongoing work for the Transforming Friargate North and Ringway scheme, we will be carrying out some resurfacing work, which will see a directional closure between Corporation Street and North Road.

"From Sunday 6th November at 6pm through to Friday 11th November at 6pm, Ringway will be closed in an Eastern direction.

"From Sunday 13th November at 6pm through to Friday 18th November at 6pm, Ringway will be closed in a Western direction.

"Teams will be working 24 hours a day to ensure this work is carried out as quickly as possible, to minimise disruption. We have also built in a contingency in case of severe weather, breakdowns or delays to ensure we do not extend the closure.

"Once this work is completed, we aim to keep Ringway running with two lanes in both directions to ease congestion and minimise disruption to local businesses. However, in some instances we need to reduce this to one lane for short periods.

"Thank you once again for your continued patience while we carry out these important works."

What’s the work about?

The Friargate North and Ringway project is one of the first schemes in Preston paid for by Government money from the Transforming Cities Fund.

It is aimed at improving connectivity by bus, rail and "active travel" - cycling and walking. County Council chiefs say the cash will be spent on a number of improvements in and around the city, including ways to join up both halves of the city centre which have for decades been split by the Ringway dual carriageway.