More than 500 sets of traffic lights across Liverpool are to be upgraded as part of a multi-million pound scheme.
Liverpool Council is expected to approve the acceptance of a £3.5m grant from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for a retrofit of hundreds of traffic lights throughout the city. The upgrade to the lights is to be delivered over a two-year period through the Transforming Cities Fund.
It was confirmed in March that across the combined authority area, more than 750 sets of lights would be upgraded in five of the six boroughs. Halton is the only location that will not be retrofitted.
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A Liverpool Council cabinet report on the proposed grant said the new lights would reduce energy costs and the local authority’s carbon footprint. It said: “The council currently maintains 505 traffic signal installations across the city, made up of junctions, pelican crossings, puffin crossings and toucan crossings.
“Of these, 284 sites use halogen lamps that are proposed to be retrofitted as part of this scheme.” The combined authority funding will also be used to replace 111 traffic signal poles at locations where replacements are required due to age and structural integrity.
The end of December 2023 has been pencilled in by the combined authority as a works completion date, with the end of March 2024 for financial claims to be finalised. The full project is expected to draw to a close by March 31, 2025, when an evaluation report will be undertaken to report to Government on the progress and impact of the project,
Appointed contractor Yunex Traffic has submitted costs for each authority based on their requirements. These costs make up the value of the grant, including funding for 111 pole replacements, the item costs are fixed for the duration of the contract.
Full site surveys will be undertaken to understand the current state of each location and highlight the current state of the traffic signal cabling and highlight any sites that require cable replacements.
The report said as LED lanterns require less power to operate, the city’s carbon output will be reduced. This will also provide a cost saving to the council due to the reduced energy required and is estimated at £155k per year.
The full programme, which was signed off by the combined authority almost six months ago, will include the upgrading of more than 9,000 signal aspects, including 2,400 pedestrian crossing indicators across the five boroughs.
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