A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool bypass to open later this month

The opening date for the A585 bypass in Wyre has been revealed.

The new road will bypass around the village of Little Singleton, and aims to help to reduce congestion, improve safety, reduce the impact of traffic on the local community, and remove a major bottleneck on the main road to Fleetwood.

Costing £162 million, it will open to traffic on Monday, December 18.

The bypass will be opened using a phased approach, so people can experience the benefits of the new road as soon as possible, while also enabling highways to safely complete finishing work along the route.

This includes:

Skippool and Skippool Bridge junctions

Completing traffic islands and installing permanent traffic lights at both locations

Lodge Lane

Final landscaping and constructing a noise barrier on both the west and eastbound carriageway

Poulton junction

Completing the traffic island and the installing a safety barrier and permanent traffic lights

Windy Harbour

Completing the eastbound carriageway, including the installation of kerbs

Planting

Highways will continue to plant thousands of trees, plants and shrubs

Initially, the bypass will operate in single file with a reduced speed limit of 30mph.

The bypass will become fully operational later this winter, making use of all four lanes at the national speed limit (70mph). For safety, the speed limit will be reduced to 50mph on the approach to Poulton junction and 40mph towards Skippool junction.

What’s coming up?

When the bypass opens in December, there’ll be an immediate closure of Garstang New Road to traffic at Five Lanes End (Shell garage vicinity).

Motorists travelling towards the M55 / M6 / Lancaster / Preston or Fleetwood / Thornton Cleveleys will be advised to use the bypass.

There will also be signs at key decision points for drivers, informing them of the new road layout.

There will also be alterations to Mains Lane (the old A585) to reflect its new function as a local road, including a new cycleway and reduced speed limits.