RAILWAY Road will be open to two-way traffic again by the end of this week as glass and stonework start to appear on key buildings in Blackburn town centre.

The temporary traffic lights at the junction with Church Street and Salford will be removed by Friday.

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Much of the glass panels are now fixed to the steel skeleton of Blackburn’s new £5 million bus station and first-floor offices have been installed ready for a late Spring/early Summer opening to passengers.

In the £33 million Cathedral Quarter development at the other end of Railway Road, the stonework is now on the rear of the office block sold to Legal and General for £9 million and most glass panels on the front of the Premier Inn are in place.

The superstructure of the £6 million clergy court attached to the cathedral is also nearly complete and stonework is being applied to the lower parts .

Council regeneration boss Maureen Bateson said: “The temporary traffic lights are due to come off at the end of this week and the road will be fully opened throughout April and Easter.

“We know the disruption has been inconvenient and we appreciate people’s patience during this project.”

Steve Rawlinson, Eric Wright Construction’s Cathedral Quarter project manager said: “It’s all going very well .

“We are still on target for a September hand over.”

Blackburn Cathedral canon Andrew Hindley said: “The steel superstructure of the clergy court is up and stonework is on the lower parts.

“After Easter masonry cladding will be applied to the upper parts.

“It is all very exciting and we are starting to plan moving in later this year.”

The court is the suite of residential buildings complete with cloister garden at a major Church of England complex for 600 years.