Cycling and walking around the Port of Liverpool will now be easier and safer following the completion of phase one of the Maritime Corridor scheme. Tony McDonough reports
Phase one of an active travel scheme close to the Port of Liverpool is now complete.
Called the Maritime Corridor, the scheme is upgrading segregated foot and cycle paths, and crossings at junctions. These changes make it safer and more accessible for those not in a vehicle to travel.
Additionally, safer crossings also benefit motorists though improved traffic flow and more reliable journey times due to less traffic accidents.
Improved active travel routes are now in place on Dunnings Bridge Road and Netherton Way as a result of phase one of the Maritime Corridor scheme being completed.
These improvements are in an area of Sefton with low car ownership, with around half of households not having access to a car.
Investing in walking, wheeling and cycling routes supports local people travelling around their area, whether it is to local jobs, education or for leisure.
Sefton’s Cabinet Member for Skills, Economy and Regeneration, Cllr Paulette Lappin, welcomed Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram to see the improvements.
She said: “The infrastructure improvements delivered by this scheme will help connect people in the area with local jobs.
“With the new Atlantic Park development generating new jobs that will support economic growth in the area, it makes sense to improve the travel routes to the site itself.”
In June 2025, construction firm Winvic achieved practical completion of £36m industrial and logistics complex at Atlantic Park funded by Royal London Asset Management Property. It is on the site of the former Rolls Royce gas turbine factory which closed in 2008.
It comprises four buildings offering floor plates ranging from 43,000 sq ft to 134,000 sq ft. Located within the Liverpool City Region Freeport zone, which offers a number of tax advantages to occupiers, the development also includes charging points for electric vehicles.
Work on phase 2 of Atlantic Park, costing £42m, has already started and will deliver 420,000 sq ft of commercial space across three purpose-built units, ranging in size from 53,750 sq ft to 216,000 sq ft. Completion is expected in summer 2026.
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Steve Rotheram added: “We’ve committed £150m to active travel as part of my pledge to deliver 600km of new and upgraded walking and cycling routes across the city region.
“By creating safer, more direct links between our communities and the places people visit every day – from schools and nurseries to high streets, parks and workplaces – we’re giving people real choice in how they travel.”