Work is to be completed by Thursday 9 June, making safe the derelict former Futurist Cinema on Lime Street in Liverpool, paving the way for the reopening of the road.
It follows the completion of an independent structural report – ordered by a Court of Appeal judge – after SAVE Britain’s Heritage objected to the council’s proposed method for making the building safe.
Work has already been carried out removing the pediment and making safe the parapets, and over the coming days more will be done in line with the recommendations of the buildings expert, who visited the site earlier this week.
A council spokesman said:
“This has taken far longer than we would have liked and work would have been completed shortly after the road closed had it not been for the legal action brought by SAVE Britain’s Heritage.
“We have had to follow the instructions of the Court of Appeal Judge, who ordered we resolve the disagreement by bringing in a new independent structural engineer to carry out another inspection and write a fresh report.
“This has now been completed and we will now be carrying out the works that the engineer has recommended. This will be completed by next Thursday, but we can’t open the road before it is declared completely safe. Public safety must be our utmost concern.
“Once again, we would like to thank motorists and commuters for their ongoing patience while the work is completed.”
The closure is from Skelhorne Street to Copperas Hill with pedestrian access maintained on the side of Lime Street opposite the Futurist.
The following diversions will remain in force:
For traffic travelling from the south: Berry Street, Leece Street, Rodney Street, Clarence Street, Russell Street, Seymour Street, London Road and Lime Street.
For traffic travelling from the north: London Road, Seymour Street, Russell Street, Clarence Street, Rodney Street and Leece Street.
Traffic travelling along St Anne Street and Pembroke Place: Seymour Street, Russell Street, Clarence Street, Rodney Street and Leece Street.
Traffic travelling up St Johns Lane: Lime Street, Commutation Row, Hunter Street, St Anne Street, Norton Street, Seymour Street, Russell Street, Clarence Street, Rodney Street and Leece Street.
For motorists on Lime Street (between London Road and Georges Place) who have missed the advanced signage, the alternative route is: right onto St Georges Place/St Johns Lane, Whitechapel, right onto Victoria Street, Byrom Street, right onto Hunter Street, right onto Norton Street, Seymour Street, Russell Street, Clarence Street, Rodney Street and Leece Street.
There is a secondary diversion route for motorists on Renshaw Street who have missed the advanced diversion signs on Berry Street: Copperas Hill, Seymour Street, London Road and Lime Street.
Access to St John’s Shopping Centre car park is unaffected.