Much delayed roadworks that have frustrated residents and businesses alike are scheduled to finally complete ahead of their latest deadline.
After months of anguish and delays, Liverpool Council expects maintenance work on County Road to be finalised before the end of April - weeks before it had been anticipated. This will bring an end to a saga that has involved contractors going bust and millions of pounds spent.
In a tweet, the local authority said the scheme is “now scheduled to complete by mid-April” when contractors will move onto work on Walton Lane. That programme will also complete at least a month ahead of schedule, by the end of April, having being due for finalisation in June.
READ MORE: Updates as three car crash closes Wallasey Tunnel and 'helicopter lands'
The revamping of County Road includes included three upgraded crossings, a new toucan crossing and two new pedestrian crossings, bus priority at two major junctions and 2km of road resurfacing as part of a wider programme to upgrade the city’s highways network over the coming decade.
The project has been beset by delays since the original contractor, VIAM previously known as King Construction, went into administration in June last year. Huyton Asphalt was appointed to pick up the mess left by the administration with a spokesman for the council outlining in December that works on the road were set to resume early in January this year following a break over Christmas with the aim of being completed by the end of February.
That deadline was missed owing to a design review being required to assess the design of the road. This prompted anger from nearby residents and businesses who claimed they could have done the work “quicker with a spoon.”
Cllr Dan Barrington, Liverpool Council cabinet member for environment and climate change, acknowledged that there had been “deeply unfortunate setbacks which has caused huge upset, which we can only apologise for.” Work on the final stretch began two weeks ago with an end finally in sight for the beleaguered L4 community.
Road closures remain in place this week from 7pm to 6am as work continues but will be paused on Thursday owing to Everton’s home match at Goodison Park. The closures run from Spellow Lane to Hale Road with diversions in place via Walton Lane.
During daytime, a 20mph limit will be in place where lane closures are active. The tweet added apologies on behalf of the local authority.
