City-bound carriageway of the Toxteth thoroughfare is called Princes Road while the carriageway heading towards Princes Park and out of the city is known as Princes Avenue. Tony McDonough reports
One of Liverpool’s best know boulevards – Princes Avenue/Road – is to undergo a £4m transformation which will include a 1km long cycle path in the central reservation.
The city-bound carriageway of the Toxteth thoroughfare is called Princes Road while the carriageway heading towards Princes Park and out of the city is known as Princes Avenue.
Built to house the city’s wealthy merchant class, the tree-lined boulevard boasts grand houses as well as a stunning range of religious architecture, including the Grade I-listed Gothic/Moorish revival masterpiece that is the Princes Road Jewish Synagogue.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet has now approved that the contract to upgrade Princes Avenue and Road – featuring a unique cycle path along the central reservation – be awarded to nmcn (formerly North Midland Construction).
A public consultation on proposals relating to junctions and access for buses within the scheme will be held. This will take place at 6pm, Tuesday, February 26, at the Kuumba Imani Centre, 4 Princes Road. The proposals include:
- New and improved pedestrian and cycle paths linking into the wider neighbourhood.
- New and improved toucan crossings.
- Planting of a number of new trees and new landscaped areas.
- New seating and lighting.
- Restoration of existing artwork and monuments.
- New public artwork to celebrate the history and people of Toxteth and Liverpool.
The results from the public consultation will inform how the £4m scheme will be phased in with contractors due on site in spring. Once all design elements are finalised, the project will also lead to the creation of a new open space for community events and a marketplace.
By installing the 1km long cycle path within the central reservation – a first for Liverpool – the scheme’s aim is to improve cycle connectivity between south Liverpool and the city centre, with the plan to install a new Citybike station along the route.
The new cycle path would also form an extension of a new ‘green corridor’ to Otterspool that is due to be delivered in the next 12 months. The URBAN Green UP project has £3.4m of EU funding to install and test three ‘green corridors’ across the city.
Cllr Jim Noakes, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet member for highways, said: “Once we’ve gone out to public consultation and completed the final elements of the scheme, I’ve no doubt this will have a real wow-factor.
“It’s going to revive the most beautiful boulevard in the city and transform how the wider Toxteth community interact and use this reimagined space.”