Liverpool’s roads chief says narrowing down the number of lanes on The Strand could cut driving times through the city
The council’s head of highways, Andrew Barr, says The Strand changes will only happen after other developments in the city have been made, including the removal of junctions that slow traffic and buses being rerouted.
Speaking to JMU Journalism about the lane changes, Mr Barr said: “Four lanes will still remain in some parts however there will be dedicated lanes for turning left and right. Two lanes will be dedicated to constant flow.”
The plan to cut the number of lanes on The Strand to as few as four has caused anger for some road users, who fear it would mean longer travel times.
Liverpool resident and regular commuter, Tate Callingham, 20, expressed his concerns over the plans, telling JMU Journalism: “I’m not sure how reducing the number of lanes will help the flow of traffic. Surely by reducing the number of lanes there will be a higher level of traffic as the roads are smaller?
“If they’re able to reduce the flow, however, then great, but it seems like a hard task to do.”
YouTube: Ed Baldwin
Announcing the Liverpool City Centre Connectivity (LCCC) Scheme last year, the council said it wanted to “transform how people move around Liverpool city centre – by foot, bike, car, coach and bus”, pledging a £45 million revamp for roads across the city.
As part of the scheme, junctions and crossings along the length of the road will be improved to ensure traffic keeps flowing smoothly, even with fewer lanes. The LCCC also includes plans to create a larger events space outside St George’s Hall and more bridges across Canning Dock.
The initiative also aims to cut the amount of bus traffic flowing through the city centre by using Queen Square bus station for northbound routes and using Paradise Street station for southbound routes.