A NARROW country lane in Westhoughton could be turned into a busy main road carrying heavy traffic, says a report.

Plans have been put to highways chiefs to turn Platt Lane into a high-capacity road stretching across farmland from the new industrial estate to the Chequerbent roundabout.

Bolton Council chiefs say it could be the solution to dealing with thousands of extra cars and lorries at major new housing and industrial developments on the fringes of Bolton.

It is hoped the plans will deal with the massive influx of vehicles created if Wigan Council presses ahead with plans for the new A5225 link road, which is expected to finish in Atherton, and a residential and industrial site at the former Gibfield Colliery.

The new road would cut across acres of farmland, including Lee Hall. Extending Platt Lane would represent a compromise on the initial A5225 scheme, which would have involved Bolton taking a dual carriageway over the Hulton Estate to form an M6 to M61 link road.

Although Wigan Council's plans for the road will include a dual carriageway between the M6 and Wigan town centre, the rest of the scheme has been drastically downgraded and will officially finish at Atherleigh Way in Atherton.

Councillors had expressed fears that the A5225 and the new housing estate could bring traffic on Westhoughton's busy roads to a standstill.

A traffic management survey shows that the Platt Lane's capacity could be increased by 70 or 80 per cent if it was to be improved.

An update on the proposals will be presented to visitors at the Three Towns Forum next week. The meeting will be held at Lostock Parish Centre, Tempest Road, at 2pm on Wednesday.

Under the proposal for major restructuring works, an order banning lorries in Platt Lane in Westhoughton would be made. Lorries using the new industrial park and the 470-home development would be banished from the road and forced to use alternative routes.