DARWEN Street will be resurfaced by the time the Queen makes her visit to Blackburn Cathedral just before Easter.

The work, starting on March 31, brings the council’s £17.5 million four-year scheme to tackle potholes and upgrade the condition of borough roads to the centre of the town.

The street, between the Cathedral and Radio Lancashire to the traffic lights at St Peter Street, will close during the week-long works between 7pm and 2am.

There will be disruption to bus services and nearby residents have been advised to keep windows closed.

A diversion will be in place, with St Peter Street reversed to allow traffic to access businesses. The work, which involves lifting the stone setts, will be complete before the Queen comes to deliver her traditional Easter cash gifts to pensioners on Maundy Thursday — April 17.

Dean of Blackburn Christopher Armstrong said: “The road surface needs improving and it will be nice it will done before the Queen visits.”

Borough highways chief Jim Smith said “Darwen Street is one of the main routes in the town centre and the repairs are necessary. The works will be carried out overnight to keep disruption to a minimum.

“Rather than do the repairs in the run-up to Christmas, we temporarily covered the setts and are carrying out the work at the end of March.

“It is a bonus that the work will be completed in time for the historic visit to the Cathedral by the Queen.”

The scheme is part of the ‘Network Recovery Programme’, currently on schedule with work completed in Barbara Castle Way and Stancliffe Street.

Projects due to start soon include Stopes Brow, Whalley Range, Whalley Old Road, Granville Street and Aqueduct Street.