Media centre

Friday 11 Jan 2019

Lytham St Annes railway bridge to be rebuilt

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Passengers, motorists and residents in Lancashire are being reminded that work to replace Highbury Road bridge in Lytham St Annes begins next week.

As part of the Great North Rail Project, the work will see the complete replacement of the bridge making it safer, more reliable and in need of less maintenance in future.

While the work takes place, Highbury road will be closed to all traffic from 7am on Monday (14 January) and will reopen on Friday 10 May 2019.

A road diversion will be in place throughout the work and will be clearly signposted. Access for pedestrians and cyclists will remain open throughout the project's duration.

The railway between Kirkham & Wesham and Blackpool South will be closed for two weekends in March. On 9-10 and 16-17 March, replacement buses will operate between Preston and Blackpool South.

The railway between Preston and Blackpool North will remain open at all times.

Passengers should check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Kathryn Berry, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said: “This essential refurbishment is part of the Great North Rail Project and will ensure that Highbury Road Bridge will remain safe for years to come.

“I apologise for the impact the work will have and I’d like to thank passengers and local people in advance for their patience.”

Chris Jackson, regional director for Northern, said: “The Great North Rail Project is transforming the railway in the north of England and has provided Blackpool with significant improvements during the past 12 months. This latest phase of work is key to the ongoing improvements and future-proofing of our network in Lancashire.

“I’d like to thank our customers and other local people for their patience and understanding, and call on anyone planning to use Northern services on the affected weekends to carefully check timetables before they travel.”

Work to replace the bridge will take place during a combination of day and night time shifts. Network Rail will continue to keep local people informed about the work.