City centre drivers face six months of delays

MOTORISTS travelling into Liverpool face six months of disruption during the closure of one of the major routes into the city centre while a £32m highway improvement scheme is carried out.

Great Howard Street which drivers use to get into the city from Bootle, Litherland, Crosby, Formby and Southport, is to close for major works in May.

The project, funded by the Department of Transport, is to improve road links between the city centre and the Port of Liverpool, which has recently become a deep water port.

It includes the conversion of Great Howard Street into a dual carriageway and replacing a bridge over a disused railway line.

Replacing the bridge near Chadwick Street and Costco alone will cost £9.7m.

The bridge is being re-built at allow possible future access to the port for freight trains.

Liverpool council cabinet approved plans for the road improvement scheme in January, citing it is “a vital route for freight from the new Liverpool 2 deep water port” and the £5bn Liverpool Waters scheme by developer Peel.