A £3 MILLION scheme to improve one of Bolton's most dangerous roads is nearing completion.

Highways bosses say the finishing touches are being put to the scheme to resurface and improve Beaumont Road and work should be finished next month.

But they warn motorists to expect some disruption at junctions in the coming weekends while the resurfacing is completed.

The council decided to act to improve the busy 60 miles-per-hour road, which links Chorley New Road and Wigan Road after a string of accidents.

Over the last three years there have been 21 accidents on the road, which was built in the 1930s, resulting in 31 people injured.

The work, which followed consultation with local people, began in October last year. It has created two lanes running in both directions, wider pavements, a cycle lane and more pedestrian crossing points.

The camber of the road has also been altered to make it safer and the traffic lights at the junction with Armadale Road and Junction Road West upgraded to include a pedestrian crossing.

John Kelly, group engineer in Bolton's highways department said the works had caused less traffic disruption than they had feared, with motorists staggering journeys and finding alternative routes, and the project should be finished slightly ahead of schedule.

"We have tried to confine the work on the junctions to weekends to minimise disruption," he said.

"We have had a lot fewer problems with traffic than we originally envisaged."