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Mersey transport plan to boost economy

Liverpool City Council is set to approve a £45M package of transport and urban realm improvements this Friday to reduce congestion and boost the city’s visitor economy.

Proposals for this ‘Liverpool City Centre Connectivity (LCCC) Scheme’ are due to go before the City Council’s Cabinet. The scheme comprises eight different projects, to be completed before the end of 2019.

Among the planned measures is an initiative to transform The Strand – which currently carries eight lanes of traffic – into a four lane, tree lined highway with improved provision for cyclists and simplified junctions.

The Strand project also involves altering traffic signal timings and is expected to lead to a better traffic flow and improve the visitor experience for pedestrians walking from the city centre to the waterfront.

The Council also proposes to create a major new event space outside St George’s Hall, deliver a major new bus hub and a coach park for the city and construct four new bridges to link Salthouse Quay with Mann Island, opening up land for future development. Furthermore public realm and cycle infrastructure upgrades will be provided at Brownlow Hill and Dale Street.

Cabinet member for regeneration Malcolm Kennedy said: “Liverpool’s international appeal to visitors and investors has blossomed over the past decade and this has set many new challenges and new opportunities.

“This new transport scheme addresses many of our current and future needs to improve the city centre welcome and provide an experience befitting a world class city.

“With a growing residential population, a huge rise in visitors and major developments in the pipeline, how we navigate around the city centre needs a radical rethink in key locations and some major improvements.”

The LCCC scheme will receive £38.4M from the Local Growth Fund with local match funding of £6.3M.