'We will keep fighting for busy road bridge'

The A5036 divides two residential areas in Bootle

A council leader says she will "continue to fight" for a footbridge across one of her borough's busiest highways, despite the body responsible for England's roads insisting that a pedestrian crossing was safer.

The footbridge across the A5036 Dunnings Bridge Road in Netherton, Sefton on Merseyside was demolished in 2022 after being hit by a lorry, and local people claimed the replacement pedestrian crossing was not fit for purpose.

Sefton Council leader Marion Atkinson said the authority "will keep on fighting for the bridge".

National Highways said the new crossing "will improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.

The new crossing will offer "safer, more inclusive access for all", National Highways said

'People are outraged'

Dunnings Bridge Road is a busy route which connects the M58 motorway with the Port of Liverpool.

National Highways said it was investing £7m in improvements to the crossing and said the new layout would be more accessible than a footbridge – which it said in any case was not an "affordable" option.

Local residents, Bootle MP Peter Dowd and the council have voiced their disagreement.

Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside, Sefton Council leader Marion Atkinson said:

"It's very clear, we've listened to local people, and we have to keep on putting the pressure on Highways England (now called National Highways) to get this bridge back."

"People are outraged about this, and we have to keep on fighting.

"It is [National Highways] responsibility and we just have to keep calling them out on it."

National Highways confirmed in 2023 it had decided against a replacement bridge, which it said would be "unaffordable" and "would not meet modern accessibility standards".

The organisation said: "Current design requirements mean ramps would need to be over four times longer than the original, making access harder for those with mobility challenges, pushchairs, or bicycles.

"Our upgraded junction design offers safer, more inclusive access for all."

A series of public information events will take place prior to the start of the work, which begins on 8 November.