Traffic ground to a halt across Liverpool city centre after The Strand was closed on Thursday afternoon.
The road's southbound carriageway was shut by Merseyside Police due to unsecured glazing on a new build tower, on the junction of Red Cross Street and The Strand - believed to be The Copper House. A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service said crews arrived on the scene at 12.03pm and found two glass panels on a balcony on the 15 th floor had become loose due to high winds.
Firefighters cordoned off the footpath below and secured the panels using rope access gear. Liverpool City Council warned long delays were likely and a police cordon remained in place, meaning that traffic was unable to head southbound until around 2.30pm.
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Until then, traffic was diverted via James Street and motorists heading south were advised to travel via Leeds Street, Hunter Street, Clarence Street and Rodney Street. The closure led to significant delays across the city centre.
Cars were gridlocked on The Strand and traffic built on James Street. Later, heavy queues formed on Lord Street as cars attempted to avoid the closed stretch of road.
The closure also meant that no bus services were able to access Liverpool One Bus Station, via The Strand. The cordon reduced at around 2.30pm, allowing traffic to head southbound, before it was removed completely at around 3.15pm.
At just after 3pm, a spokesperson for Merseyside Police told the ECHO : "We were in attendance assisting Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service with road closures following a report of structural damage to a building on the Strand. I understand that part of the Strand closed has now been re-opened."
Officers remained outside The Copper House once the cordon was removed, but traffic was able to head towards South Liverpool.
Click here to read our live blog from the incident, reporting how events unfolded.
