£30m M65 Junction 5 Upgrade Set to Begin in January

Safer Highways
Nov 6
2 min read

Work to upgrade Junction 5 of the M65 in Blackburn is set to begin in January, marking the start of a £30 million investment to boost road capacity and sustainable travel across South East Blackburn.

The scheme, part of a wider £100 million transport investment package for the borough, aims to improve traffic flow around Junction 5 and neighbouring routes.

Balfour Beatty has been appointed as the main contractor, drawing on its experience delivering major motorway upgrades across the North West. Preparatory works are already underway, with site compounds being established near Belthorn Road and at the Davyfield depot ahead of the New Year start.

To minimise disruption, main construction work will take place between 9:30am and 3:30pm on weekdays. The project has been developed in consultation with emergency services, including Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, and will be monitored by National Highways to manage any impact on congestion.

Under the plans, the M65 slip roads will be widened and the roundabout upgraded to three lanes. The nearby Guide junction will also receive new traffic signals following resident feedback.

The improvements were outlined in a report presented to Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Board.

Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Growth and Development, said:

“Residents tell us that improving our roads and how people get around the borough is important to them, so we’re really pleased to bring this forward.“£20 million of the Government funding we’ve secured in recent years has been allocated specifically for transport improvements in South East Blackburn – around Junction 5 and the surrounding area.“We’ve worked on detailed plans to improve the junction while creating new walking and cycling routes that make it easier to travel without a car.”

Active travel works are already progressing, including the recent opening of the Arran Trail. The first phase of the Junction 5 project will focus on the stretch between the Guide junction and the M65 slip road heading towards Burnley.

Key road enhancements include:

Expanding the eastbound exit slip to three lanes
Upgrading the eastbound entry slip to two lanes
Adjusting the westbound exit slip so both lanes turn right towards Blackburn
Widening the westbound entry slip to two lanes
Expanding Guide Road and Haslingden Road approaches to three lanes
Widening and signalising the roundabout for smoother flow

In total, £31 million will be invested in South East Blackburn — £20 million from government funding and £11 million from the council, to be later recovered through developer contributions tied to housing and employment developments.

A dedicated project website, www.blackburn.gov.uk/SEBlackburn, will keep residents informed throughout the works, which are expected to run until 2028.

Cllr Mahmood added:

“These improvements to Junction 5 are much needed and it’s fantastic that we’ve secured the government funding to deliver them.We’ll keep residents and businesses updated through the dedicated webpage and our social media channels.”

The project also includes a series of active travel upgrades, such as: