Blackburn is preparing for months of traffic disruption as council officials finalise plans for a new roundabout on Whalley Old Road. The Blackburn with Darwen Council executive board is set to approve George Cox & Sons Ltd, a Farnworth-based civil engineering firm, as the main contractor when they meet on April 9.
The £2 million project, which got planning permission in February, involves building a four-arm roundabout to serve growing housing developments in the area. Construction starts in May and should take seven months, aiming for completion by December 2026. The timeline has improved from the original eight-month estimate, although costs have risen from £1.75 million.
The road realignment will cause significant disruption during construction. The new junction will serve the Sunnybower Meadow estate, where Vistry Partnerships and Bovis Homes are currently building 165 homes, and will pave the way for a larger 1,250-home development across 241 acres off Brownhill Drive in north-east Blackburn.
The full £2 million budget covers construction, professional fees, surveys and contingency, including £201,000 already incurred. Council capital funding accounts for £1.5 million of the total, with £119,200 from Bovis Homes through a Section 106 Agreement. An additional £130,800 comes from S106 contributions plus a £250,000 reallocation from the north-east Blackburn budget.
Council officials say a roundabout fits the semi-rural character of Whalley Old Road and creates a natural gateway between the urban and rural landscape. The design allows smoother traffic flow with shorter queues, while the circular layout naturally reduces vehicle speeds, cutting collision risk. Each arm will feature splitter islands for safe pedestrian crossings.