Lancashire traffic updates after opening of new M55 link road between Blackpool and Preston

Rush hour traffic leaving the M55 at junction 1 (Broughton) in Preston is usually queued back to the M6 at junction 32, but not today.

It is hoped the new Preston Western Distributor road has made all the difference, linking the A583 at Riversway and Blackpool Road to a new junction 2 on the M55 at Bartle.

Traffic is flowing along the new stretch of road and congestion appears to have eased around the M55 exit towards the M6 in Preston this morning.

We were among the first to drive down the route. You can watch our video here.

The new two-and-a-half mile dual carriageway - and two, shorter, adjoining link roads - carried their first vehicles after a rain-soaked opening ceremony on Monday (July 3).

Lancashire County Council says the new £207 million road – officially named Edith Rigby Way after the famous Preston suffragette – will have been worth the wait for commuters.

You can read our full feature on why highway bosses believe the new M55 link road is ‘worth the cost’ here.