Main road will close for six weeks (From The Bolton News)

Main road will close for six weeks

9:44am Saturday 8th March 2008 in

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ONE of the busiest roads in Westhoughton is to be closed for six weeks so a gas pipe can be replaced.

Part of Leigh Road -between Daisy Hill railway station and the roundabout at Hartford Road - will be shut to allow National Grid to carry out essential maintenance work.

The road closure is pencilled in for the school summer holidays - between July 21 and August 29.

The gas company needs to replace a cast iron pipe which runs along Leigh Road and Lower Leigh Road with a plastic pipe.

A diversion route has been provisionally agreed, which will take drivers through Atherton.

A spokesman for National Grid said it needed to replace 1.8km of metal gas pipe in Leigh Road, Lower Leigh Road and Schofield Lane.

The company expects work on the entire project to start in early June and last until November.

Local councillors have expressed their concerns. Westhoughton South councillor, David Wilkinson, said: "This closure will mean there is only one point of access for the thousands of residents in Daisy Hill, via Wearish Lane. This will cause congestion at the Wearish Lane traffic lights as well as others in the town centre.

"I am also concerned about buses as this is the main Bolton to Wigan route for the 540 service which runs every 10 minutes.

"Residents along the strip that is due to be closed have to park their cars along the road."