LIVERPOOL’S world-famous waterfront will be fully reopened to the public from this weekend for the rest of the summer.

The 600m stretch alongside the Mersey, connecting the Pier Head to the Albert Dock, has been closed for the past three years to allow the construction of the new £72m Museum of Liverpool.

It will be reopened in time for the start of the On the Waterfront festival on Friday, and will stay open throughout the school summer holidays.

The public have been unable to gain access to the full length of the walkway while the museum takes shape.

It is expected to give a major boost to the On the Waterfront festival, with tens of thousands of people expected to witness dozens of spectacular events, including a night-time pyrotechnic display in the Albert Dock on Friday.

The walkway will remain open for the second On the Waterfront event, which takes place over the weekend of August 6.

The temporary reopening was agreed after talks between Liverpool city council, National Museums Liverpool (NML) and Merseytravel.

Cllr Wendy Simon, cabinet member for culture and tourism, said: “The temporary re-opening of the riverside walkway is a hugely significant milestone in the renaissance of our riverside and marks one of the final steps towards creating a 21st-century, world- class waterfront.

“Public access along the walkway will provide a huge boost to our On The Waterfront festival and will give people the first chance to get the full experience of the new-look Pier Head with the new Museum of Liverpool, which I’m sure will prove to be a huge tourist magnet.”