Highways Agency

The Project

The M57/M58/A5036/A59 junction, known locally as Switch Island, is a vital hub in the local transport infrastructure of Sefton. The junction stands at the head of the A5036, which forms the gateway to the Port of Liverpool and the Bootle dock area, linking them to the national motorway network via the M57 and M58. The four major routes which converge at Switch Island transfer up to 80,000 vehicles per day through the junction with heavy goods vehicles accounting for some 10% of the total flow. These traffic flows produced extensive queuing on the approaches to the signals which in turn lead to a higher risk of low severity accidents.

This project was procured via the Construction Management Framework. Click here to find out more about this type of procurement.

Work on anti-congestion improvements began in September 2005 and was completed ahead of schedule on the 19 March 2006. The redesign of Switch Island will help to improve the flow of vehicles through the junction every day, resulting in fewer delays and a reduced risk of accidents.

The improvements include a new section of carriageway at the end of the M57 which take vehicles to a traffic signal-controlled junction, allowing motorists to go directly from the M57 either left to the A5036 towards Bootle and the docks, or right to the A59 and M58 towards Maghull. Additional lanes have also been added to the entry and exit slip roads on the M57.

Other improvements include new facilities for cyclists and safer pedestrian access to the Ormskirk Road supermarket.

Although lane restirctions have operated throughout construction, delays have been kept to a minimum, with a considerable amount of work having been done over-night. In addition, a free recovery service was available for any vehicle that broke down within the works.