[1] In 1990, a detailed proposal known as the Blue Route was submitted for planning permission, which would have involved a 4.7-mile (7.6 km) dual carriageway road between Switch Island and the Formby Bypass.

This proposal was ultimately rejected by then Secretary of State for Transport in May 1995 despite favourable public consensus, on the grounds it would have negative impact on greenbelt land and be detrimental to conservation areas and protected species.

[4] A Sefton Council environmental statement in 2010 made reference to the traffic congestion that had affected routes around the Thornton area for "many years", as well as the impacts to quality of life and the environment.

[5] In May 2000, a public consultation began which proposed six possible options, with the intention to understand the views and opinions of residents and businesses along the route between Thornton and Switch Island.

[6] Following the 2006 public consultation, the scheme for a single-carriageway link to Thornton was given high priority and accepted in July 2006 by the then-Secretary of State for Transport, Douglas Alexander.

[3] After two objections were raised regarding the compulsory purchase order needed to acquire the land on which the road was to be built, a public inquiry was held in October 2012.

[8] Following Sefton Council giving their final approval in September 2013,[9] construction was proposed to begin by early November 2013 for a period of around 12 months,[10] with the financial benefits estimated to be in the region of £140–200 million over the 60 years post-construction.

[16] The delay was explained as being due to needing to undertake additional work to stabilise the road foundation in two locations to make it suitable to lay tarmac on.

[19] A year after opening, road users were giving generally positive feedback, with some confirming that travel times had been reduced and offers a more convenient means of accessing the motorways, although a common recurring concern were the junction issues at Switch Island.

[21] Following continued incidents at the junction with Switch Island, the council confirmed in July 2016 that it was in talks with Highways England and Merseyside Police with Bill Esterson, MP for Sefton Central, calling for changes to be considered to the road to improve safety.