Is A585 bypass dream facing scrapheap?

Motorists will be angry if the scheme has been delayed or even scrapped, it was claimed

The new road was put forward by Highways England as a possible solution to the rush hour jams which pose a constant bugbear for motorists.

But government officials would not say yesterday whether it was one of a number reportedly under threat because they do not represent “value for money”.

The 16 schemes are part of an £11.4 billion investment in motorways and major roads which must be reconsidered by the summer to ensure it is deliverable and affordable, Whitehall spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) said.

In a statement, Highways England’s chief executive Jim O’Sullivan said the department was ‘confident’ of delivering its programme without going over budget, but a spokesman said he couldn’t say whether the A585 work is still expected to go ahead.

The 2.7 mile stretch of A585 is one of the busiest along the 11.5 mile route between Fleetwood and the M55, with bottlenecks happening particularly where the Shard and Little Singleton junctions are.

Two options were being considered, a new dual carriageway or improving the existing road, and around 700 people took part in a six-week consultation last year.

The upgrade was planned as part of a five-year investment programme announced by the then-coalition government in 2014, featuring 112 major schemes to being between 2015 and 2020.

Neither the Department for Transport (DfT) nor Highways England would name the projects at risk.

Lancashire County Council said it had not been informed of any potential changes.