Just a bit of info about this glorious new link road!
It's all finished now, but there are still (inexplicably!) a lot of cones around on the M6! There's also a lot of cones and temporary speed limits on the new road itself. This is mainly due to the amount of 'incidents', particularly at the roundabout half way down. People have been travelling too fast and when they unexpectedly encounter said roundabout at speed, they have ended up going straight across it! The fact it has no lighting and is in complete darkness at night have not helped & work is to start next month on street lighting (hopefully after TT!)
As you leave the M6  you encounter a big set of traffic lights, then when you have gone past the 'interchange' & are actually on the link road it is national speed limit for about 3/4 mile then the temp 50mph & cones. After the roundabout it stays at 50 for about 1/2 mile then its 40MPH to the massive set of lights, after the that it's the same as it ever was!
If you fancy it you could go the 'old' way, outskirts of Lancaster & across the river, because that's a hell of a lot quieter & faster than it ever was!
Don't forget, with all the giddiness, there will be plain clothes cars & speed radars about, so take it easy!!

More info on sailing from Heysham below.....

I don't know what it is about new roundabouts, there's two near me and since installation there's regular and proper high speed crashes with the cars ending flipped over the other side, both are close to old roundabouts - my suspicion is that their sat nav hasn't been updated and people assume they have more distance to travel because their little computer tells them so .. that new link road to / from Heysham is great, particularly to the port.