A NEW £20m road gateway into Liverpool has been given the go-ahead by Government.
The Hall Lane scheme aims to ease one of the biggest bottlenecks in the city, meaning drivers heading into the city centre from the M62 should suffer fewer delays.
A public inquiry was held in April last year into the compulsory purchase and road orders needed for the scheme.
Three objections lodged at the start of the inquiry were withdrawn.
A senior councillor said “real progress” can now be made to create a “first class gateway” into the city.
Traffic heading to the city centre from Edge Lane must turn either left or right into Hall Lane or Towerlands StreetŠat the top of Mount Vernon Green.
But both of these routes are residential roads and traffic is frequently snarled up.
The scheme, funded by the Department for Transport and the European Regional Development Fund, will include new road alignments to take traffic away from the residential areas and will be a dual carriageway for most of its length.
A new junction at West Derby Street and Crown Street will direct traffic north along a new stretch of road towards Low Hill and then on to Islington, or south along a realigned Grove Street.
To improve traffic flow between Islington and Grove Street, the junction at Low Hill will be upgraded.
Pedestrian facilities will be provided wherever there are traffic lights and cycling facilities are also being introduced. The scheme will include “extensive Šlandscaping and improved lighting”.
Peter Millea, Liverpool’s executive member for assets and development, said: “This means that we can make real progress on a scheme which has the support of the local community as well as road users. The city needs first-rate gateways into our centre - that is a key part of our regeneration.
“The Hall Lane scheme will do that, helping both motorists and pedestrians and providing a much better image for visitors.ŠAnd it will produce a much better environment for the neighbourhood.
“It will also provide a new frontage to the Royal Liverpool Hospital development. We have worked closely with the hospital trust to ensure we could have this scheme and a first-class hospital in the city.”
Work is scheduled to start early in 2009 and be completed in Autumn 2010.
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