A5065

This article is about the later route in Luton.
For the original route in Salford, see A5065 (Salford).

The A5065 bypasses the western suburbs of Luton for an easier route in and out of the town centre than using the old A505. Its existence is now disputed. Some maps show that its entire route has now been renumbered the A505, which makes much more sense than routing the main-sounding road through the busy Bury Park, although the old A505 has retained its number to serve the M1. However, other maps disagree and Luton Borough Council were still using the A5065 number in late 2013.

The A5065 begins on the roundabout at the boundary between the towns of Luton and Dunstable. The A505 runs to the west to Dunstable; to the east to the M1, Leagrave and Bury Park. North was and is an unclassified road to Houghton Regis. The A5065 heads south as an S2 along an older road to the village of Caddington. Going under the railway bridge (now carrying the guided busway), large cuttings into the Blows Downs can be seen and you immediately reach an essentially pointless roundabout with one minor turn off. The road at this point turns east and becomes an NSL.

Owen b writes:

The pointless roundabout at Blows Down - I recollect that this was built with a view to extending the relief road west to join up with the now cancelled Dunstable eastern bypass.

After a kilometre or so, the old road turns off to the right, making a steep climb up the downs. This road has been improved in recent years and now isn't as quite as steep as before. The A5065, however, continues eastward moving to follow closely the old and now closed railway line that ran from Luton to Leighton Buzzard via Dunstable, which nbow carries the guided busway as far as Dunstable. We pass over the M1, being able to see junction 11 with the A505 itself barely a kilometre away, which is why this preferred road never got a motorway junction. Not to mention the geography of the area would make it pretty difficult.

Hatters Way, Luton

After crossing the M1 we officially enter Luton, and we shortly come to a roundabout that mainly offers routes to surrounding industrial estates, but also a route to and from the old A505 and consequently the M1. This final section of the road used to be an NSL I think a long time ago, but was reduced to a 50, and is now a stupidly slow 40 for a good, wide S2. I guess the argument is it's busy, but I don't really buy that. The road follows the old railway side by side, passing almost under Luton Town's Kenilworth Road before terminating at a complicated roundabout junction at the western end of Luton town centre with the A505 (possibly now renumbered B579) and a spur of the A6.

Original Author(s): Elliott