LANCASHIRE County Council is to install average speed limit cameras on major M65 roadworks between Burnley and Colne, it has been announced.

The scale of the £6.6 million works, which will take six months and includes the removal of the main carriageway lighting, has alarmed politicians and the AA who fear frustrated motorists will be caught by the cameras and fined.

From Friday engineers will install concrete barriers to reduce accidents where vehicles crash through into traffic on the opposite carriageway.

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The replacement of existing steel crash fencing and creation of a new central reservation on the M65 between junction 10 at Burnley and junction 14 at Colne will last until Friday December 18.

A 50mph speed limit will be in place between Junctions 10 and 14 during the work, enforced by the new average speed cameras.

Despite the Lancashire Telegraph’s ‘Turn the Lights on Campaign’ following the night-time death of Burnley-born Mark Burgess, the lamp standards will be removed permanently.

The works include shutting the lanes closest to the central reservation and several overnight total closures in July, November and December.

Pendle Tory MP Andrew Stephenson said: “We are looking at months of traffic jams.

“The lights should have been replaced meaning less safety work.

“Using average speed cameras is a daft idea driven by raising revenue from speeding fines.”

An AA spokesman said: “Six months of roadworks to remove lighting columns and replace ageing crash barriers is an added snub to the thousands of drivers who wanted the lights to stay.

“The permanent removal of lighting on busy urban stretches of motorway like the M65 is highly controversial as lit motorways are less risky than dark ones.

“The roadworks will be a pain. We urge drivers, already frustrated by the loss of streetlights, to be patient and not be forced to dig deep to pay speeding penalties.”

County highways boss John Fillis said: “This work is absolutely essential.

“Accidents where vehicles cross to the opposite carriageway can be catastrophic.

“The road works and 50mph limit may add to journey times and we are sorry for any inconvenience.

“We’ll be maintaining two running lanes of traffic by allowing traffic to use the hard shoulder.

“Most motorways do not have lights.”