The planning application has been submitted by Lancashire County Council for the £17.5m Penwortham Bypass, which aims to reduce congestion through the town.

The proposed bypass will run along the south western side of Penwortham between the A59 Liverpool Road and the A582, forming a junction with Broad Oak roundabout, next to Booths supermarket.

Designed as a dual carriageway, this major multi-million pound investment in the road network in South Ribble will provide extra capacity on the roads and reduce congestion through the town itself, especially at peak times.

The proposals will reduce traffic on a number of roads in the area by 40% to 70% at peak times, reducing delays and improving journey times.

Once the new bypass has opened, improvement work is planned through Penwortham itself and along the A59. This includes opportunities to give more space and priority to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users, as well as ways to tackle local parking issues.

People can comment on the proposals until 9 February, as part of the usual planning process.

A fly-through video is available on YouTube showing the proposed route: https://youtu.be/SZhs4AW-H-s.

County Councillor John Fillis, Cabinet member for highways and transport said: "Penwortham's well-known traffic congestion has been a significant problem at peak times for many years. This bypass will benefit people in Penwortham and the surrounding areas for generations to come.

"We're also proposing a range of measures that will support the new bypass, such as improving cycle routes with new crossings, noise barriers which will help residents who live near the new road, and replacement playing fields for All Hallows Catholic High School, bringing added benefits for local people, along with the congestion-busting road."

Councillor Peter Mullineaux, Leader of South Ribble Borough Council, said: “The Penwortham Bypass has been talked about locally for more than 20 years, and it’s thanks to City Deal funding that we can now make our ideas a reality.

“The new road will not only significantly reduce congestion in Penwortham, but will benefit South Ribble residents as a whole as it will reduce traffic on other roads in the area, improving journey times. It will also pave the way for improvements that will encourage more walking and cycling.”

All cycle routes and footways directly connected to the scheme would have controlled crossing points, to help people safely cross the road.

The bypass is a key part of the £434m City Deal. This is an agreement between Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council and Lancashire County Council, along with central government and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

The City Deal will help to create more than 20,000 new private sector jobs and see over 17,000 new homes built across Preston and South Ribble, as well as new school places, open green spaces and new health provision to cater for the growing population.

For more information about the bypass plans, visit www.lancashirelep.co.uk/city-deal and search for 'Penwortham Bypass'.

Keep updated on the plans for the bypass and other highway improvement work taking place by following @LancsCityDeal on twitter.