£150 Million Windy Harbour To Skippool Project Timetable Revealed

Work on the £150 million Windy Harbour to Skippool project will step up a gear over the next few months and drivers and residents are encouraged to go online to stay up to date with the latest on the scheme.

Highways England, responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the country’s motorways and major A roads, had hoped to re-run highly-popular public information drop-in events this autumn to provide residents and road users with the latest project information. However, continuing restrictions around the Covid-19 outbreak forced a rethink and now much of the information has been moved online.

Highways England senior project manager Jon Stokes said:

“We’d always prefer to give people the opportunity to pop into a public information event and meet us face-to-face. As that’s not possible for now we’ve decided to enhance what’s available online and encourage people to find out more there.

“Work to deliver this important new bypass - which will tackle congestion and support new homes and jobs in this part of the county – will be ramping up in the new year and we’ll become far more visible.”

Enhanced online information for the project update has gone ‘live’ on the project webpage today and includes a new video setting out the benefits of the new road for drivers as well as major improvements for cyclists and pedestrians along the existing A585 once it has been bypassed by the new dual carriageway. The video also explains Highways England’s commitment to protecting the environment as well measures to minimise noise and disruption during the construction.

The updated webpage, which includes the latest project newsletter, will be updated over the next few weeks to incorporate even more details about the construction plans along the different sections of the new road.

The project, which involves building a new bypass south of the existing road through Little Singleton and improving the junctions at Windy Harbour, started in March this year. Most of the work so far has involved archaeological investigations and ground surveys but the timetable published today details aspects of work – including construction – for the next two years.

Between now and November 2022 work will be taking place at the following locations:

Skippool junction: January 2020 to March 2021 – phased removal of traffic islands the existing junction roundabout;
Skippool Bridge and Skippool Bridge junction: January to August 2021 – preparations for the installation of a new bridge north of the existing one and utilities diversion works;
Between Mains Lane and Garstang Road East: November 2020 to October 2021 – the first significant ‘off-line’ work away from the existing A585 along the route of the new bypass with drainage and embankment construction;
Poulton junction: November 2020 to November 2022 – further ‘off-line’ work along the route of the new bypass with the construction of the new Poulton junction with existing Garstang Road East;
Garstang Road East to Lodge Lane: November 2020 to October 2021 – excavations of the new bypass carriageway and the construction of an embankment near Garstang Road;
Lodge Lane bridge: March to July 2021 – work on a new bridge to carry existing Lodge Lane over the new bypass;
Lodge Lane to Windy Harbour junction: November 2020 to April 2021 – utilities diversion followed by embankment construction a long a key section of the project where the new bypass links to the existing A585.

Much of the work between now and November 2022 will be away from the existing A585, however there will be significant roadworks between Skippool roundabout and the filling station where narrow lanes and reduced speed limits will be in place. Elsewhere there will be very little disruption to drivers’ journeys although users of Garstang Road East and Lodge Lane along the local road network will come across traffic management such as temporary traffic lights from time to time. While some work will be taking place overnight most will be taking place during the day – and noisy work will be confined to daytime hours.


As well as looking at all the new information, visitors to the webpage can also sign up for regular email alerts from the project team. Information will also be made available on social media - @HighwaysNWEST (Twitter) and Highways England: North-West (Facebook). Anyone with any questions can also email the project team at A585windyharbourtoskippool@highwaysengland.co.uk or call the Highways England 24-7 customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Highways England is also delivering some unrelated work elsewhere along the A585 this month - between the M55 and Windy Harbour junctions - with a month-long, £850,000 project to resurface carriageways and provide new road markings starting on Monday (16 November).