Road upgrades and pothole fixes across the Liverpool City Region are to benefit from a massive £300 million funding boost. Subject to approval by the area’s Combined Authority (CA) leaders next week, money will be distributed across all six of the region’s boroughs to accelerate a programme of road repairs and upgrades, ensuring key transport corridors are made safer for buses, bikes, and cars, says Birkenhead News.
The cash injection would be on top of the more than £233m already allocated to highways upgrades in the region, taking the total investment in fixing and future-proofing local roads past £500m. The money comes from a £1.6bn settlement secured through Transport for City Regions (TCR).
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said the investment will “keep people moving, while continuing to build the modern, integrated transport system our region needs”. TCR funding was secured to accelerate the journey toward an integrated transport network that makes travelling across the City Region and beyond easier, cleaner, more affordable and accessible.
Of this, £21 million is being dedicated to infrastructure improvements in Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral that will directly support highway safety initiatives, helping to realise the Liverpool City Region’s “Vision Zero” strategy which aims to eliminate all road traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
A further £30 million is being allocated to upgrade bus stops and shelters, improve accessibility at bus and rail stations and create new wayfinding signage across the region’s transport network.
A £25 million portion of funding has been provisionally allocated for the maintenance of the Mersey Tunnels estate. The programme supports repairs across eight ventilation stations, as well as critical electrical infrastructure improvements across the Kingsway and Queensway Tunnels.
Mr Rotheram said,
“People don’t judge their transport network by reading strategy documents – they judge it by the journey they make every day. They notice whether the bus turns up on time, whether the road is full of potholes, and whether it’s safe to walk or cycle.
“For too long, our region hasn’t had the investment needed to keep those everyday journeys running smoothly. Thanks to devolution, we’re changing that. We’ve secured record funding and, crucially, we can decide locally how it’s spent to tackle the issues that matter most to our communities.
“This investment will help us repair roads, improve safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, keeping people moving, while continuing to build the modern, integrated transport system our region needs. That’s what devolution is all about – giving local leaders the tools to get on with the job and deliver better outcomes for the people they serve.”
(Picture: Liverpool City Region)
