Home Local News St Helens Council delivers on road investment strategy

St Helens Council delivers on road investment strategy

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Councillor Lynn Clarke (second on right) and St Helens Council’s Engineering Service Manager, Steve Walker (second on left) visited Windle Island to get an update on the soon to be completed junction improvement scheme

A senior St Helens councillor has hailed the progress made during the past year in improving the borough’s road infrastructure.

In December 2018, the council committed to invest £1.5m in the local highway network which received a further boost when St Helens Council’s cabinet accepted funding of £1,072,000 and £293,000 from the Department for Transport and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority respectively, complementing the total improvement pot allocated in 2018/19 to just under £5m.

Notable work to date includes:

– Refreshing existing road markings in Billinge which has helped improve road safety in the area, with each ward to receive £10,000 to enhance road markings

– Broken flags on public pathways being replaced with more robust materials

– An additional 4,800 energy efficient street lanterns being installed as part of the council’s ‘invest to save’ programme

– 15 miles of road resurfacing and preservation for fixing potholes on the roads and to stop them forming

– The soon to be completed Windle Island junction improvement scheme which will provide better access in and out of St Helens

To assist the Local Plan, which sets out the council’s ambitions to build a vibrant and prosperous borough over the next 15 years – a total of £500,000 has been earmarked from the Transformation Reserve to support the design, modelling and technical appraisal of potential future transport projects so that detailed bids can be developed and to ensure that new funding opportunities can be secured.

Speaking after being taken on a recent tour of some of the areas across the borough to benefit from investment, including Windle Island which sees around 43,000 vehicles pass through a day, Councillor Lynn Clarke, Cabinet Member for Better Neighbourhoods, said that the council’s road investment strategy is a clear indication of the council’s commitment to bettering the borough for residents and businesses alike.

“It’s great to see first-hand the work undertaken at some of the sites that we’ve invested in, “Councillor Clarke said.

“As a council we are committed to improving the quality of life of our residents and this includes putting money into our highway network to build a better future for the borough’s growth.

“We’ve committed to spend an additional £1.5m and the improvements are obvious: there are carriageway improvements and clear street lining that can be seen by drivers and pedestrians, making it a safe environment for all our residents.”

Commenting on the progress made at Windle Island – the oldest purpose designed intercity highway in the UK – Councillor Clarke said:

“The Improvements made at Windle Island to increase junction capacity; improve pedestrian safety and smooth traffic flow will make a massive difference – and it’s really good news that the completion of the works will be done two months earlier than programmed.

“Thanks to everyone for their patience and understanding while the works have been progressing, and a big thank you to all of the people at Balfour Beatty and the workforce there, for working in all kinds of weather and all hours of the night, to make sure the works are completed early.”

As part of the council’s road investment strategy, existing road markings in Billinge have been refreshed to improve road safety in the area. Each ward in the borough will receive £10,000 to enhance road markings

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