Linda Davies, of Russell Drive, Torrisholme, got legal aid to try and overturn Seceratry of State Hazel Blears' decision to sanction the £138m road.

She wanted to prevent the road being built on greenbelt land which runs behind her home.

But the judge, Sir Jeremy Sullivan, threw the challenge out on Friday after a one and a half day hearing and is now set to recommend a change in the law to prevent such challenges delaying important public schemes.

Mr Justice Sullivan said there was no merit in the challenge.

Jeremy Pike, for Mrs Davies' lawyers EarthRights, argued that the road's environmental assessment was inadequate and that a park-and-ride to be built close to junction 34 was not subject to the same investigation.

He further argued concerns over a bridge over the River Lune being in a flood plain had not been addressed.

Mrs Davies, a retired social worker and former teacher at Lancaster and Morecambe College who has lived in Torrisholme for 40 years, is now considering whether to lodge an appeal.

The link road has been beseiged by controversy since it was first touted. At a planning inquiry at the Holiday Inn in Lancaster last year campaigners said it would destroy miles of greenbelt.

The Environmental and Sustainable Transport Alliance (ESTA) and local campaigners Transport Solutions for Lancaster and Morecambe (TSLM) said the bypass "would not provide a long-term solution to the traffic problems of the area and would be severely damaging to local communities in a variety of ways," which includes "noise, air pollution, increased flood risk, loss of visual amenity, and severance".

But Government planning inspector Christopher Tipping recommended planning permission be granted for the completion of the link road along the northern route in February this year after the lengthy inquiry.

The route will link junction 34 of the M6 with the eastern end of the existing link road, opened in 1994.

Despite that, campaign groups have continued to pin their hopes on the fact that the Department for Transport is yet to approve funding for the scheme.

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Lancashire County Council hopes to start work in January 2010 with a projected finish date of 2012.