A multi-million pound scheme to make Liverpool city centre easier to navigate for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians has been announced.
The council’s new project, Liverpool City Centre Connectivity (LCCC), follows confirmation with the Graham construction firm that work will begin in January 2019.
With over £3.6bn a year generated by international shoppers, investors and tourists, one of the key aims of the project is to improve the public realm in the city centre.
The opening phase of the development will redesign and enhance major routes from the city’s commercial areas through to its retail and knowledge districts.
Liverpool will also see the first phase of the project address general road improvements, the widening of pavements as well as tree planting and new public features. This will start on Victoria Street, running from North John Street to the Queensway Tunnel.
Twitter: Lori Dunlevy
Liverpool City Councils new project, the Liverpool City Centre Connectivity scheme (LCCC) will improve Brownlow Hill to better connect Liverpools retail district to universities. pic.twitter.com/LyymoyhPvX
— Lori Dunlevy (@loridunz) 6 December 2018
Improvement works to Brownlow Hill will begin in spring 2019 and are set to be completed at the start of September in order to better connect the retail district to the city’s universities.
Councillor James Noakes, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “The phenomenal growth of Liverpool city centre over the past two decades has created many new challenges and new opportunities.
‘’With a growing residential population, a huge rise in visitors and major developments now taking shape, how we navigate around the city centre needs a radical rethink in key locations and some major improvements.
The LCCC development is broken up into a further three sections, planned to be completed by March 2020. These are:
- Lime Street – creating a new gateway into the city from the station and a new events platform for St George’s Plateau.
- Canning Dock Bridges – building four new bridges to link Salthouse Quay with Mann Island and opening up land for future development.
- The Strand – improving links for cyclists and pedestrians between city centre shopping areas and the waterfront by reassigning existing road space along The Strand.
Commenting on Graham’s appointment, its Highways Director, Dave Brown, said: “Our work delivers lasting impact and the Liverpool City Centre Connectivity programme is the perfect platform to do just that. This flagship highways project will radically transform Liverpool city centre and significantly enhance the city’s major routes, benefiting motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.”