National Highways review effectiveness of controversial Windy Harbour bypass

It follows stinging criticism of the A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool bypass project by campaigner Mark Owens, who branded it an expensive 'failure'.

The much-anticipated bypass, which links Fleetwood and the M55 junction at Kirkham, was finally completed last year.

A vital route for commuters to and from the north end of the Fylde coast, the work on it aimed to de-clog the bottleneck which plagued motorists and improve road safety.

But last month, campaigner Mr Owens wrote to the company behind the project and said the road had failed to halt the congestion it was meant to cure and stated that it required ‘major surgery’.

Now National Highways, the government-owned company responsible for the overall project, has replied to Mr Owens.

In its reply, the company told him: “We’re currently undertaking a review to assess the effectiveness of the improvements.

“As per our standard procedures, such evaluations typically occur for around 12 months after the work’s completion.

“Your concerns have been shared with the relevant teams, and your feedback will be considered as part of our ongoing assessment of the A585.

“While we cannot provide conclusions at this stage, we remain committed to monitoring the impact of our work and identifying areas for potential improvement.

“We understand this may not be the outcome you were expecting. However, please know this remains an area of focus, and your feedback is highly valued.”

Thanking him for his feedback, it added: “Our customers are an important additional source of information, as users of the network.”

In his criticism of the road last month, Mr Owens said: “There can be no escaping the fact that this project has failed in the evening peak traffic times, something the project was supposed to deal with.

“There’s Massive congestion far exceeding the original length of congestion at Little Singleton, when the A585 was using Mains Lane.

“Radical surgery is needed to fix this project, otherwise we are facing a terrible waste of millions of pounds along with all the inconvenience.

“A complete review of this project and a holistic review of the A585 from Fleetwood to the Motorway must be undertaken with a view to improve journey times and safety.”

Mr Owens commented on the reply: “I welcome the response but I’ll only be satisfied when the issues are resolved, they need to act quickly because they are causing a lot of problems.

“It isn’t just Norcross roundabout which needs fixing, which they have recognised, but the road and the various junctions leading up to it.”

A spokesperson for National Highways said: “We have been in correspondence with Mr Owens and thank him for the points he raises.Several schemes have been completed to improve safety and traffic flow along the A585, including speed enforcement measures and reduced speed limits in certain areas.

“Some level of congestion is expected while road users adapt to these changes. It is our usual practice to review the effectiveness of all major schemes and improvements and we are committed to monitoring the impact of our work and identifying any areas for improvements.”