A roadworks saga that has spanned three years, a collapsed contractor and a global pandemic is finally coming to a close.
After first getting underway on April 8, 2019, work on A59 County Road in Walton will end at long last this Friday. The scheme has been a thorn in the side of residents, motorists and businesses alike throughout L4 as it dragged on and on after being besieged by delays and problems.
The major gateway into the city centre, which passes Goodison Park and links onto the motorway network, was undergoing a near £6m revamp when its original contractor, Viam - known as Kings Construction - went into administration during the summer of 2021. The contractor’s collapse left the road surface incomplete with large patches where the tarmac had been torn up and not replaced.
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After a tendering process, Huyton Asphalt were appointed as contractor to finish the much delayed work by Liverpool Council in October last year, which included three upgraded crossings, a new toucan crossing and two new pedestrian crossings. Progress was made for two months before a winter design review halted the revamp again until the end of February.
In a bid to meet its deadline for the end of this month, contractors worked under the cover of darkness from 7pm to 6am weeknights to get the road relaid. Upon completion of the work on Friday, contractors will move onto resurfacing works at Walton Lane.
That scheme, which will operate under a 20mph limit for motorists, will begin on Tuesday, May 3. Works there are expected to complete by the start of June and will require a number of full night-time road closures.
The County Road scheme, which has also seen bus priority introduced at two major junctions as well as 2km of road resurfacing, has been a key tranche of a wider programme to upgrade the city’s highways network over the coming decade. Cllr Dan Barrington, Liverpool Council cabinet member for environment and climate change, acknowledged there had been deep frustration around the scheme but lessons could be learned as a result.
He said: “County Road has been beset with a number of deeply unfortunate setbacks which has caused huge upset, which we can only apologise for. I’m pleased that the new programme of works will be completed to schedule as it plays a crucial role on our network.
“Walton Lane will soon be the new focus when County Road is completed and hopefully with settled weather, the contractor will get a smooth run and there’s no more setbacks. I want to thank everyone for their patience over the past 12 months.
“It’s been a challenging experience for everyone and we’ve learned some valuable lessons that are shaping what we do in the future. Roadworks by their very nature cause delays and headaches but we’ve invested in new technology to ensure our new highways improvement programme causes the minimum amount of disruption.”
