M65 safety review to be conducted

National Highways is to conduct a safety review of the M65 from Cuerden to Burnley this year including whether lighting is needed.

The audit will be part of all of the body’s routes across the North-West.

The review is revealed in a letter to Hyndburn Council’s leader Cllr Munsif Dad form Duncan Smith National Highways executive director of operations.

It will not include the stretch of the motorway from junction 10 to junction 14 at Colne which is the responsibility of Lancashire County Council.

Hyndburn Council was one of three local authorities along with Burnley and Pendle to pas motions calling for a safety review last year after string of accidents.

So far this year the motorways has seen at least four more incidents a crash affecting the M65 westbound from junction 7 at Rishton/Accrington to Junction 6 at Blackburn on January 26; an accident affecting M65 eastbound between junction 7and junction 8 Hapton on February 3; a crack affecting the motorway eastbound between Junction 5 for Guide and Junction 6 for Whitebirk on January 14; and a lorry shedding its load on the M65 Westbound between Junction 7 Rishton / Accrington to Junction 6 Blackburn / Whitebirk on January 29.

Mr Smith’s letter to Cllr Dad says: “I appreciate your concerns regarding safety on the M65, due to the occurrence of collisions on this section of our network in recent months.

“I would like to assure you that safety is our prime imperative.

“In 2025, we are planning to undertake a full safety review of all our routes in the North-West. This will include the M65, junctions 1a to junction 10.

“This will help to identify any common issues relating to collisions that occur on this route.

“Our findings can then be used to steer where more detailed investigations or interventions may be required in the future.

“Providing road lighting is not a legal requirement and some motorways, including much of the M65, have never been lit.

“Our understanding of the factors that cause incidents has improved since our network was first built, and the evidence shows that the number of incidents that are prevented by road lighting is much less than previously understood.

“When road lighting is reaching the end of its life, a new assessment of the benefits and costs is required to determine whether renewing it is justified.

“In some situations, due to the structural condition of the lighting columns, it may be necessary to remove the lighting in advance of completing the assessment.

“This is the case for the M65 lighting that has been removed in the past few months.

“In these situations, the assessment is undertaken to determine whether road lighting should be reinstalled.

“We are currently carrying out a lighting assessment covering junctions 1a to junction 10.

“Prior incidents on the route are taken into consideration and the assessment covers the whole route within our responsibility, irrespective of whether lighting is currently present or not.

“The assessment is planned to be completed in March 2025.

“The M65 is only part of our network between junction 1a at Cuerden and junction 10 at Burnley.

“Lancashire County Council are responsible for the M65 from junction 10 to junction 14 at Colne and decisions relating to that section of the M65 would therefore be its responsibility.”

Cllr Dad said: “Myself and colleagues all along the M65 will continue to push the appropriate bodies for action on the M65 to make it safer to travel for our residents to travel on and improve journey times due to less incidents.”