Key roads reopening as part of university highways scheme

Major roads around the Adelphi Quarter of Preston are reopening as the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) £200m Masterplan development enters its next phase.

From mid-October, highways contractor Balfour Beatty will reopen a new East-West road in front of the new Student Centre, in addition to access from adjoining roads on Moor Lane and Friargate.

Access to Walker Street and Adelphi Street will remain closed until early New Year due to unforeseen problems with uncharted buried utilities.

Highways work will move into phase four on Corporation Street, which will close to motorists and pedestrians between Edward Street and Kendal Street. Other arrangements for motorists and pedestrians will be released closer to the time.

Balfour Beatty operations manager, Graeme Moffat, said: “We are making good progress as we move into phase four of the highways scheme thanks to the hard work of our dedicated teams and supply chain partners who are continuing to work efficiently and safely throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have minimised disruption to the travelling public while delivering all works strictly adhering to Balfour Beatty’s site operating procedures to ensure the continued health, safety and wellbeing of all those who work for and with us.”

Michael Ahern, UCLan’s chief information and infrastructure officer, said: “We would like to thank the public for their patience through this time, but we can now start to see the shape of things to come and what a world-class facility and environment we are creating.

“All this is challenging whilst also ensuring the safety of those working on site and the general public moving around the area.”

The university would like to remind motorists that, at weekends, UCLan car parks are available and free for general public use.