Mayor announces £57M Liverpool walking and cycling infrastructure investment
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram has unveiled a funding package of more than £57m to deliver schemes which will make walking and cycling easier and safer for communities across the combined authority.
The money is being earmarked for a variety of active travel, highways and regeneration projects which collectively support housebuilding, economic growth and employment in areas including Southport, Birkenhead, St Helens and Kirkby.
Investment for the schemes is to be drawn from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a pot of £710m set aside for major transport infrastructure projects across the Liverpool City Region.
Funding within the latest package includes:
£22.3m to deliver walking and cycling links as part of the flagship Birkenhead Central Gateway project, which is set to create hundreds of new homes and prime retail space.
£18.8m to improve connectivity east of Southport town centre, including a new cycleway at Foul Lane, as well as works to improve safety on Kew roundabout.
£10m to develop active travel routes in St Helens to serve the new planned residential and commercial development at Cowley Hill.
£4.5m to improve East Lancashire Road and Junction 4 of the M57 towards south Kirkby, including building cycle lanes and widen footpaths.
£2m to improve Peasley Cross junction as part of wider plans to regenerate St Helens town centre.
Construction work on the first of the schemes is set to begin later this year. The improvements are part of wider plans to deliver a 600km network of walking and cycling routes across the six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral – with more than 260km set to be delivered by the end of 2026.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said “By making it easier for people to choose walking and cycling, we’re not just connecting communities and supporting economic growth—we’re actively improving the quality of life for everyone in our region.
“This investment is another step forward in our ambition to create a world-class transport system that delivers a healthier, greener, and better-connected future for all.”
Simon O'Brien, Liverpool City Region Cycling and Walking Commissioner added, “Linking communities, reducing carbon emissions, helping people to be healthier – projects like these give us an amazing opportunity to help change the way we think about travelling around our local area.”