Castle Street upgrade work to start on Monday

A £2.9m highways improvement contract will start on Castle Street next week within one of Liverpool's World Heritage Sites.

The scheme is part of the City Centre Movement Strategy and will involve creating better pedestrian links between the commercial and retail districts, as well as help to attract private sector investment in the area.

It will offer residents, businesses and visitors a more attractive, user-friendly street with a sympathetic renovation which takes into account Castle Street's position in the conservation area and within the World Heritage Site.

The 11-month contract will be delivered by North Midland Construction and includes:

• widening of footpaths and narrowing road between Town Hall and Cook Street
• repaving the Castle Street in natural York stone and granite
• repaving the streets around the Town Hall
• new wall-mounted street lighting
• creating a one-way flow southbound from Dale Street to Cook Street
• a new bus interchange with layover spaces in Cook Street
• pay and display parking currently in Castle Street and Cook Street moved to Brunswick Street, Dale Street, North John Street and Victoria Street
• new seating, trees, bins and cycle facilities and removing street clutter

Funding has been provided by the North West Development Agency, Liverpool City Council and Merseytravel.

Castle Street and Dale Street were named as one of six World Heritage areas in Liverpool in 2004. The other areas recognised for their importance in maritime mercantile history were Pier Head, Lower Duke Street, William Brown Street, Albert Dock and Stanley Dock.