A scheme to improve a main link road to Horwich is starting on Monday January 26 — but aims to steer clear of rush-hour periods.

Chorley Old Road, which turns into Church Street, will be resurfaced from Ridgmont Cemetery through to its junction with Bridge Street.

The £437,000 project is part of the council’s borough-wide road maintenance programme, and is expected to take four weeks to complete, subject to weather conditions.

In an effort to minimise disruption and keep traffic flowing, the resurfacing work will only take place during off-peak hours between 9.30am and 3.30pm on weekdays.

Work outside Horwich Parish School will only take place during the February half-term.

Chorley Old Road and Church Street will remain open throughout the work but temporary traffic signals will be in operation during working hours.

Bolton Council’s cabinet member for Highways and Transport, Cllr David Chadwick, said: “We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused to residents and road users.

"We appreciate that there may be some concern about this work as Chorley Old Road is one of the main access routes into Horwich.

“However, it is essential that the resurfacing is carried out and we would like to reassure residents that we have asked our contractors to only work during off-peak hours on weekdays."

He added: "We’ve also tried to manage the work so that the roads can be kept open. It is inevitable that there will be some disruption but we are making every effort to minimise this.”