A new traffic order will ban cars from the main section of Lime Street from today.
All traffic - apart from bikes, buses, taxis, private hire vehicles and those requiring access to load or unload - will be barred from heading into the area of Lime Street between London Road and St George's Place from today onwards.
Traffic coming from the north will be directed along Seymour Street and onto Copperas Hill and then Skelhorne Street. Traffic heading from the south will be directed to turn right after the Adelphi Hotel and up Copperas Hill after the Adelphi Hotel.
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The new rules have been brought in via what is called an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO). This will run for an initial 18 months alongside a six month public consultation to ascertain whether any changes need to be made before the proposals are made permanent.
The ETRO has been brought in after the council's £11m upgrade to the Lime Street gateway was finally completed. The upgrade has included the installation of a two-way segregated cycle lane between Copperas Hill and London Road and a new bus link in Lime Street between St George's Place and Skelhorne Street.
There is also a new bus stop and coach bays outside the North Western Hotel and a new 20mph speed limit in place on Lime Street, St Johns Lane and St George's Place.
Access to St John’s Car Park and Holiday Inn will be maintained via Skelhorne Street and Elliot Street.
The Experimental Traffic Order will be in place for up to 18 months (until April 2024), in a bid to promote active travel, reduce congestion and pollution and improve safety along this key corridor.
The council's Lime Street upgrade has been beset by problems. The main one coming when its key contractor went into administration - adding months onto the project time.
There were also political rows over the design of the scheme, leading to a reworking of aspects of the development. When the new cycle lanes first opened to the public, there were complaints raised about the safety of part of the scheme outside the Adelphi Hotel. Liverpool Council acknowledged the issue and made changes to the design.
Comments can be made about the scheme, by emailing nevil.basnett@liverpool.gov.uk and quoting the following reference – LS/RT/ETRO 10338A/TM 3673/2052.3563
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