Dock Road revamp reaches next stage
Engineering works will begin on Monday on a large stretch of Liverpool’s Waterloo Road and Regent Road, meaning a full closure to traffic for four weeks.
The closure will come into effect from 9.30am Monday between Paisley Street, close to the Waterloo Dock; and Blackstone Street, close to Bramley-Moore Dock, to allow for drainage repairs, carriageway resurfacing and critical utility works.
Traffic flowing to and from Liverpool city centre will be diverted to use the A565 Great Howard Street. Once this phase is over this key section of the dock road will be completed, with the overall northern access scheme entering the final six months of an 18-month programme that began in March 2018.
The next phase will see works to the route north of Bramley-Moore Dock begin later in the spring. The works, which includes a new cycleway connecting Liverpool city centre to Sefton, are part of a new dual carriageway scheme on the A565 which has been funded by the Local Growth Fund, invested through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund.
This overall package of road improvements in the north Liverpool area is worth more than £100m and is a key element of the £500m Better Roads programme, aiming to improve connections between the city core and key project areas Liverpool Waters, Ten Streets and the proposed Everton stadium.
Earlier phases included a new bridge, which was designed to support freight traffic for the Liverpool Superport, and a new wall to improve access to the historic Stanley Flight canal lock system within the city’s World Heritage site.
Cllr James Noakes, cabinet member for highways, said: “The North Liverpool corridor is a hugely complex highways scheme involving an immense amount of engineering works on two major roads at the same time.
“To ensure traffic flows this scheme can only be carried out by a phased approach which means some weeks there are full road closures and some weeks just lane closures.
“We really appreciate the patience of motorists as these essential works are carried out. Fortunately there are other alternative routes and with this key stretch of the Dock Road complete after this phase we can all begin to see the finishing line and a vastly improved journey in and out of North Liverpool.
“Of course, schemes of this nature cause disruption but the long term gains of this investment in north Liverpool’s infrastructure are going to help redefine our city’s economic future.”
The cycleway to Sefton will open up historic parts of the dock road, and the improved environment will enable some wonderful sites to be better appreciated: where the Irish landed in the 1840s; walls built by Napoleonic prisoners of war and historic docks previously inaccessible. Let’s get Sefton involved in the City-Bikes. There seen a lot on Crosby beach these days.
By Roscoe
The management of all these works on the Dock Road, Great Howard Street, Derby Road and A565 in general is shocking. No thought at all on the delays caused to commuters and local businesses. Road closures appear and disappear without enough notice to plan your route. Traffic and pedestrian protection, cones, barriers etc are dangerous. Contractor and highways officer need to fix this
By Local
James Noakes clearly doesn’t travel North of the city.
By Anonymous
If Liverpool thinks by looking after and expanding their own city centre, that everywhere else in the generic LCR will simply fit into their success, then they need to wake up.
By Heswall
The work done here has given no account off the disruption it has caused. Traffic lights had a filter lane to turn right on to the dock road. This is not in use now. So those turning right block the road especially wagons which adds to the frustration. Those sitting in the Ivory towers in the highway towers should go and sit in it for half a hour. Causes no end of trouble. Not coordinated to allow free flow. More misery to come the headline should read.
By Richard
I’m 12 miles out of Liverpool but we are completely part of the city economy. Liverpool’s success is our success. We are Liverpool.
By Roscoe
This Heswall guy is consistently incoherent with his ‘Wirral First’ rants. I’d love to see his evidence base for claiming, Wirral’s inclusion in the LCR had damaged its fortunes.
By Denby
Absolutely carnage and totally agree with Richard turning right to get to my place of work at Millers Bridge every day is a nightmare no matter how much time you give yourself to get in on time. Those cones closing the lanes off when nothing was going on where a disgrace. And the temp lights not In sink Timeing to give those turning right enough time to let at least 20 cars: lorries to turn down. Before oncoming traffic light changed at same time!!! Someone needs sacking for poor communication:organisation
By Sandra
So I’ve ridden the ‘works’ a few times now. I’m shocked at just how uncycling friendly the cycling scheme is. Stop. Start. Stop. Start. It was safer and easier to ride along the road with the trucks on my commute. Lots of space – poor surface. Now, the road is narrower making riding the road dangerous, but also the cycle path installed is dangerous as vehicles exiting businesses and cycle traffic can’t see each other, nor is it effecient to keep stopping. A decent commute has been doubled in time and energy spent.
This is NOT how you get people out of cars and onto bikes to reduce emissions around the city centre. Involve cyclists/commuters to get this stuff right first time. Lip service does not create a viable and enviable cycle network.
By worthy
Bottom of millers bridge is one big pot hole , why has this not been resurfaced ?
By David