A sculpture on one of East Lancashire's busiest roundabouts is on course to be finished next month.

The artwork on the Red Lion roundabout at Whitebirk is based around the design of a dry stone wall, with a steel sphere pointing the route into the town centre.

The reverse of the wall will be covered in ivy.

It has been designed in this way to symbolise the gateway between urban and rural areas.

Phil Cobb and Stuart Castleden from Rossendale-based Traditional Dry Stone Walling, who are carrying out the stone work, said that they were on course to finish by the end of June.

Phil said: "It's an unusual project for us. We tend to do a lot of work around reservoirs and for the National Trust.

"There is a tradition of dry stone walling in this area and it's becoming more fashionable again.

"It's low maintanence and very durable, and people like it in their gardens."

Two types of stone are being used in the construction - Lancashire gritstone and Rossendale flagstone - which have been sourced from quarries in Whitworth.

No cement is used in the piece - all stones are carefully selected to fit into one another.

Phil added: "I've been dry stone walling for 19 years and it's a learning process every day.

"You never get bored."

Due to Health and Safety Regulations, a steel mesh will cover the dry stone walling.

The steel sphere centrepiece is currently being galvanised, and work is under way to construct a dry river' of small stones to flow' through the roundabout.

Plans for the piece of public art were revealed in March 2007.

The council's executive member for regeneration Alan Cottam said: "This is an important gateway to the town which is currently not very welcoming.

"The project is a positive statement that reflects the vision and aspirations of the town of Blackburn."

The artwork has been designed by Cheshire-based artists Eaton Waygood Associates, which was told to create a piece that was reflective of the local area. The scheme is part of a £3 million plan for the Whitebirk gateway which included the recently-completed installation of traffic lights at the main Whitebirk roundabout.

The project is funded through the European Development Fund, the Highways Agency and Blackburn with Darwen's local transport plan.