More than £230m is to be spent on upgrading roads across the six areas of the Liverpool City Region (LCR).
At a meeting of the LCR combined authority tomorrow, members are expected to sign off on a package of funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) to improve key highways across the region.
The cash injection will fund resurfacing of roads across LCR, drainage works to help prevent flooding and new streetlights.
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Additional electric vehicle charging points will also be installed as part of the scheme that is said to “support public transport services, relieve congestion, and improve air quality for local communities.”
Further upgrades to be signed off by authority members include bus shelter improvement, enhanced walking and cycleways as well as new pedestrian crossings.
Around £50m of the funding will go to Liverpool, with Sefton receiving £41m. Wirral and St Helens will be awarded £37m and £34m respectively, while Knowsley is to be granted £29m alongside £24m for Halton.
A pot of £15m has also been earmarked for Merseytravel from the award made to the combined authority from an indicative allocation of £710m to fund transformational transport projects through the CRSTS in November 2021.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said the plans formed part of his vision to create a London-style public transport system.
He said: “Our region’s success is dependent on our people, and goods, being able to move quickly, safely, and efficiently. By investing in electric charging points and improved, future-proof infrastructure on the roads and transport network, we can ensure that our economy continues to accelerate forward as we rebuild from the pandemic.
“Ultimately, my vision is to create a modern, London-style public transport network. Not only will it make a huge difference to the lives of our residents, making their journeys cheaper, faster, and more reliable, but it would provide people with a genuinely viable alternative to their car.
“By choosing to travel on the bus or train, or even walking or cycling, we can significantly reduce traffic congestion on our roads – which will be vital for our region to hit our goal of being net zero carbon by 2040 at the latest.”
The funding project is the latest strand of the plan to create a revamped transport system in the city region, as members of the combined authority are also expected to confirm franchising as the preferred future model for running its bus network and services.
If approved tomorrow, work will take place to complete the business case for the model, followed by a public consultation.
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