This is why Broughton Bypass was closed last night and why Garstang Road is congested now

Numerous Lancashire residents took to Facebook last night to say that the James Towers Way, also known as the Broughton Bypass, was closed overnight.

Many people expressed their frustration at the disruption to their late night journeys and confusion as to why the closure was in place - but we have the answer.

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Why was the Broughton Bypass closed?

According to the Lancashire County County roadworks bulletin, James Towers Way will be closed from the junction with Garstang Road to Whittingham Lane roundabout between Thursday, May 28 and Friday, June 14 due to asphalt preservation works.

Road signs in the area also specify that the closure is only overnight, between 8:00pm and 6:00am.

Asphalt preservation involves the spray application of a sealant treatment onto asphalt road surfaces to extend their resilience and performance life.

Why is the A6 congested further north as well?

Although the James Towers Way closure is only in place at night, further up the A6, where it becomes Garstang Road, drivers will find disruption to their journeys during the day instead.

Between Monday, May 2 and Sunday, June 2, multi-way temporary traffic lights are in operation at the junction of Thorntrees Avenue between 7:00am and to 7:00pm including during the weekend.

The manually controlled temporary traffic lights are in place to allow for workers to dig up the carriageway to locate the rising main pipe and conduct a pressure test.

As of 9:00am, the AA reports that there is slow traffic on A6 Garstang Road in both directions at Thorntrees Avenue due to the construction work and the temporary traffic lights in operation.

We will provide more traffic updates as and when they come in.