Highways Agency

A585 (M55 to Fleetwood)

The Strategy

Introduction

Route Management Strategies have been devised by the Highways Agency to enable the effective and efficient management of the motorway and trunk road network. Each individual strategy will concentrate on investigating the current problems associated with the route and tackle them on an individual basis.

All Route Management Strategies will culminate in the production of a ten-year Management Plan and a more immediate and detailed three-year Action Plan, both of which will be reviewed and updated during the lifetime of the strategy. The Management Plan will include the problems, which have been highlighted by local authorities and organisations, and anyone who uses or is affected by the route.

Parsons Brinckerhoff undertook the A585 RMS in consultation with the local authorities, regional planning authorities, transport organisations and the police.

Investigation of the route functions and objectives has brought to light the current route problems and a plan of action to tackle them has been developed.

---

back to top

Route Functions and Objectives

Route Functions

Route functions specify the role that an individual route plays in the context of the wider road network. Route functions aims to do this at a strategic(national), regional and local level.

National

• To be part of the strategic route between Ireland, mainland Britain and Europe
• To provide a route to the port of Fleetwood and the Wyre from the M55 and M6 motorways

Regional

• To provide a route for access to the north of Blackpool
• To provide a route for commercial access to Fleetwood, Thornton-Cleveleys, Over Wyre and Poulton-le-Fylde from conurbations in the Northwest of England
• To provide a route for tourist access through Fylde and Wyre
• To provide a route for regional access to Freeport Retail Park and Thornton Strategic Development Areas
• To provide a route for access to Blackpool/Fleetwood Regional Regeneration Priority Areas
• To provide a route for commercial access to the port including fishing industry
• To act as a link between local communities and the wider trunk road network
• To provide a vital route for providing local regeneration
• To provide a route for commuters in and out of the area

Local

• To provide a primary route for local businesses, farms and residents
• To relieve the A587 as a partial bypass of Blackpool
• To act as a gateway to the port and town of Fleetwood
• To provide direct local access to the road network
• To provide local access to Freeport Retail Park
• To facilitate informal interchange for car sharing, buses and coaches
• To provide access to Kirkham, Poulton, Lytham and St. Annes administrative centres
• To provide access to Preston
• To provide access to Over Wyre

Route Objectives

Route objectives seek to provide readily identifiable and quantifiable targets that the Route Management Strategy will seek to achieve. Route objectives relate to the five Government policy criteria for transport and have been summarised under the headings below.

Economy

• To make better use of trunk roads.
• To improve management of road maintenance to improve traffic management and minimise duration and disturbance to users.
• To selectively increase capacity and introduce other measures to reduce congestion.
• To improve road users' journey time reliability and predictability to help travellers make informed choices about alternative routes and modes.
• To improve incident response times and reduce network 'downtime'.'
• To improve monitoring and early warnings to provide reliable forecasts of traffic conditions.
• To work closely with planners to identify where regeneration and development will be supported by further development of the trunk road.
• To achieve best value for the costs of construction and maintenance over the whole lifetime of the investment.

Safety

• To improve safety for all road users and contribute to the Government's safety strategy and targets for 2010.
• To improve road layouts that will encourage safer driver behaviour, particularly at junctions.
• To improve education of all road users.
• To improve the effectiveness and level of enforcement of road traffic law.
• Introduce high technology control equipment to warn drivers of potential hazards.
• To segregate and warn of conflicting vehicle/user types.
• To improve the level of provision of rest areas.
• To implement "safer routes to schools."
• To improve speed management of vehicles.
• To ensure all facilities on the network are accessible at minimum risk.
• To ensure the working environment is as safe as possible and workers and managers are aware of appropriate health and safety regulations.
• To encourage better design of roadside features to minimise the effects of collisions by errant vehicles.

Environment

• To promote the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity, in particular to manage the estate so as to add to its existing value as a refuge and a linking feature for wildlife.
• To take practical steps to minimise airborne emissions.
• To take practical steps to minimise noise and disturbance.
• To identify and implement practical steps to manage the drainage of the network to minimise the impact of traffic and maintenance operations on watercourses, groundwater and flooding.
• To manage the network in a sustainable manner, conserving existing resources, generating less waste and removing barriers that prevent or limit the use of secondary or waste materials.
• To respect the landscape character and quality in rural areas when improving existing roads and seek to enhance integration of the route.
• To use a townscape plan in urban areas to enhance the townscape quality and minimise the adverse effect of trunk roads.
• To ensure the planning and resourcing of projects respond appropriately to adverse effects on the historic environment and the historic fabric of the landscape is respected.

Accessibility

• To address the issues of community severance associated with the trunk road network.
• To improve conditions for people accessing public transport services on or via the trunk road network.
• To provide improved facilities, equality of access, and improved links to key destinations.

Integration

• To work with others to ensure passengers and freight operators can switch efficiently and smoothly between different modes of transport, and to broaden the choices available.
• To foster positive relationships with local authorities to facilitate policy integration, coordinate activities and responsibilities, and increase understanding and collaboration.
• To integrate the management of the trunk road network within wider planning policies.

---

back to top

Route Problems

The following problems have been highlighted during the original round of investigations, each problem has been categorised into the Highways Agency's five policy objectives for transport.

Economy

• Congestion during peak hours, weekends and holiday periods. Specifically at Windy Harbour, Little Singleton and Norcross.
• Low journey time predictability and reliability.
• Congestion caused during periods of high HGV usage.
• The effect of new developments on the local road network.

Safety

• Personal Injury Accident rates at Victoria Road, West Drive, Rossall Lane and Norcross roundabout junctions.
• High numbers of accidents involving motorcycles in the southern half of the route.
• High numbers of accidents involving cyclists in the northern section
• Significant hindrance to passage of emergency vehicles at peak times.

Environment

• Noise Intensity through the residential areas north of Skippool.
• There is no Biodiversity Action Plan for the route.

Accessibility

• Difficulty of access on to the road for local residents due to high traffic volumes.
• Crossing facilities are poor for vulnerable users at many junctions and spare in other locations.

Integration

• Lack of public transport in the area.
• Discontinuity of cycle lanes.