Liverpool prepares city centre

­URBAN TRANSPORT

Councillors in Liverpool have approved the next steps in a major programme of changes to the city’s road network, including city centre public realm works. 

Design consultants are being procured to develop a city centre connectivity programme with eight components:

• the Strand – reducing the traffic dominance in this north-south corridor along the city’s waterfront, with rationalised junctions, better pedestrian links between the city centre and waterfront, and a continuous north-south cycleway

• historic downtown gyratory – enhancing the public realm and pedestrian environment on city centre streets plus an east-west cycleway between Lime Street railway station and the waterfront, and a revised city centre bus routeing strategy

• upgrading Moorfields rail station frontage and concourse

• Lime Street/St Georges – reducing traffic and pedestrian/cyclist severance between Lime Street station and the main retail area, and between Lime Street and Queen Square, with a new event space outside St George’s Hall

• Brownlow Hill – a pedestrian and cycle route between Lime Street station and the Knowledge Quarter via Brownlow Hill

• city bus hub – a bus layover and interchange facility close to the existing Queen Square facility

• Canning Dock bridges – new dock bridges linking Salthouse Quay and Mann Island to open up development land and address safety concerns about the existing bridges during major events

• city coach park – a coach parking facility in the city centre

The £38.2m city centre programme is funded by £33.2m from local growth fund and £5m from Liverpool City Council. The DfT has retained control of the approval process for the package because it is valued over £20m and requires more than £10m from the Local Growth Fund. Delivery is expected to run from 2017/18 to 2019/20.

The design contract, estimated to be worth £3m over two years, will be procured from Merseytravel’s new multi-party framework agreement.

 Liverpool is also progressing plans to dual a radial road into Liverpool city centre from the north. Councillors have authorised officers to negotiate with landowners over land purchases for the North Liverpool Key Corridors project, which will dual two sections of the A565, improving access to Liverpool port and the city centre. A third phase of the project will see parallel Regent Road made more pedestrian-friendly. 

The project and a related bridge replacement on the A565 have an estimated cost of £32m, to be funded by the Local Growth Fund, the DfT’s road maintenance challenge fund, and contributions from Liverpool and Sefton councils. 

Meanwhile, Liverpool City Council is accelerating delivery of an £80m road investment programme from eight years (2014/15-2021/22) to five years (2014/15-2018/19). The programme, approved in February 2014, is being funded by 50% capital receipts and 50% unsupported borrowing.