Running to Princes Parade via the Bath Street roundabout, the new link road is seen as critical to easing congestion around the city centre. Tony McDonough reports.

Liverpool is considering building a £20m link road to the city’s waterfront.

A council report is calling for the building of an extension to Leeds Street that would see it directly linked to Princes Dock.

The link road, which would run to Princes Parade via the Bath Street roundabout, is seen as critical to easing congestion and boosting the future expansion of the northern fringe of the city centre.

Once complete it would see the closure of Paisley Street which is accessed via Great Howard Street (A565).

The extension is part of the council’s £250m Better Roads programme which is already investing £32m in the area with the replacement of the Great Howard Street bridge and creation of a dual carriageway further along the A565.

The Better Roads Programme also includes the City Centre Connectivity Scheme which has identified the need for upgrades to key highways such as Lime Street and The Strand, which are to be delivered over the next four years.

The roadworks are all part of the council’s masterplan for the ‘Atlantic Corridor’ which includes the Ten Streets creativity hub and runs parallel to Peel’s £5.5bn Liverpool Waters scheme.

Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “This new link road is a critical piece in our masterplan to unlock the vast potential of North Liverpool and generate thousands of new jobs. 

“Along with the other major improvements to the A565, the extension of Leeds Street will ease congestion around the city centre.

“It will also improve the desirability of the area to investors, aiding nearby schemes such as Pall Mall and Liverpool Waters.”

Following Cabinet approval, consultation on the scheme will begin immediately.

If Compulsory Purchases are required to enable the Leeds Street extension, a further report to Cabinet will be submitted.