A KEY road which has been closed since July as part of work to electrify the railway in the borough will reopen today — four weeks ahead of schedule.

Network Rail closed Grimeford Lane in Blackrod on July 27 so work could take place to rebuild a railway bridge in the road as part of the electrification programme.

Motorists had been told that the route — which connects Blackrod and Adlington — would not re-open until November 20.

But from today at about 5pm, drivers will be able to use the road after the project was completed a month ahead of schedule.

And they will be driving on a newly resurfaced route as well — after Bolton Council chose to carry out repair work while the road was closed.

Transport bosses now predict that the bridge will not require any major work for the next 100 years.

Aisling Wall, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said: “I would like to thank residents and motorists for their patience while we have completed this work which is part of our Railway Upgrade Plan to provide a better railway for passengers.

“It will allow faster, greener and more frequent services to operate and we did all we could to complete the work as safely and quickly as possible.

“We also worked closely with Bolton Council which completed its work at the same time to minimise disruption.”

Grimeford Lane was originally closed earlier this year, at the same time that the nearby Station Road was shut, but residents and councillors successfully lobbied Network Rail to delay the job to avoid the chaotic fallout of a double closure.

It is one of 15 road bridges that Network Rail has rebuilt on the Manchester to Preston via Bolton rail line in the past two years.

This has included major schemes in Lostock Lane and the ongoing work in Orlando Street in Bolton Town Centre.

The bridges need rebuilding in order to provide enough clearance for overhead lines, which will power electric trains that could arrive in Bolton by the end of next year.

Blackrod councillor Ann Cunliffe said: “It’s great that the road is opening weeks ahead of schedule.

“Also it was good that while the road was closed we were able to resurface it and improve it.

“Residents have had to put up with a lot of disruption and I’d like to thank them again for their patience.”