More than £300m earmarked for Liverpool City Region road and pothole repairs
More than £300m could be invested in repairing roads, fixing potholes and improving transport infrastructure across the Liverpool City Region.
The proposed £308m funding package would bring the region’s total investment in highways maintenance and upgrades to more than half a billion pounds.
The money, which would come from the Liverpool City Region’s £1.6bn Transport for City Region settlement, is due to be considered by the Combined Authority at its meeting on Friday, July 17.
If approved, funding will be distributed across Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.
It will be used to accelerate road repairs and upgrades, with a focus on improving the safety and reliability of key routes used by motorists, buses and cyclists.
The new funding would be added to more than £233m already allocated for highways improvements across the city region.
Around £21m has been earmarked for infrastructure schemes designed to improve road safety and support the region’s Vision Zero strategy, which aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on the road network.
A further £30m would be invested in public transport infrastructure, including upgraded bus stops and shelters, improved accessibility at bus and rail stations and new wayfinding signs across the network.
The full funding package remains subject to approval by members of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, 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.”
The highways funding represents a major pillar of the wider £1.6bn TCR settlement, which 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.
TCR funding will also help deliver the region’s largest-ever investment in rail network development, including progressing plans for new stations at Carr Mill in St Helens, Woodchurch in Wirral and Daresbury in Halton.
There is also significant investment in the bus network as it’s brought back under public control – including in a fleet of new, greener state-of-the-art double-deckers and funding to roll out smart, tap-and-go ticketing across the entire transport network.
A further £100m is also being allocated to deliver a new rapid transit network, creating fast, modern links connecting Liverpool city centre to John Lennon Airport as well as both the Liverpool and Everton football stadiums.
