SIR: It is only natural that the public are critical of connection with the so-called improvements to the Manchester Road/A6 junction which has resulted with over 40 accidents in the past 12 months, far more than the number that ever occurred in the past 12 years.

Approximately six months ago I inquired as to the cost of such an idiotic planning approval and was informed three months later "£29,000".

Before attempting the improvement, it would have been of benefit to the planners to have visited the Chorley Road/A6 junction - if they knew one existed - then they would have suddenly realised that accident-free junction was of a far greater width, and that a wasted piece of land at Manchester Road would have solved the problem in making that junction far safer for motorists, or even pedestrians.

I have never known of an accident at the Chorley Road/A6 junction since the by-pass was opened on April 20 1934.

The additional road widening scheme which I have mentioned may cost a further '£29,000', so the obvious answer is the installation of traffic lights.

L Watkinson

Manchester Road, Blackrod

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.