Liverpool city centre car lanes cut in £45m plan

The Strand will have greater room for pedestrians and new cycle lanes

One of Liverpool's main city centre roads could be cut from eight lanes to four in a £45m transport scheme.

The new-look Strand will have greater pedestrian space, a new cycleway and key junctions removed.

Eight projects have been revealed by Liverpool City Council, including a larger public events space at St George's Plateau.

The plan promises to "transform" travel around central Liverpool especially for cyclists.

Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, cabinet member for Regeneration, said: 'With a growing residential population, a huge rise in visitors and major developments in the pipeline, how we navigate around the city centre needs a radical rethink in key locations and some major improvements."

The eight-point plan includes:

• St George's Plateau - new event space: To be created using the northbound lanes of Lime Street

• The Strand: New four lane highway, new cycleway and improving pedestrian links

• New city bus hub: To be established near Queen Square bus station

• New city coach park: Create an off-street facility and rest area for drivers

• New Canning Dock bridges: Four new bridges to link Salthouse Quay, opposite Albert Dock, with Mann Island

• New Moorfields entrance: Upgrade to Moorfields station and surrounding public area

• Brownlow Hill: Upgraded public area and new cycle links from Lime Street station to the Knowledge Quarter

• Dale Street: Public space revamp and a new east-west cycleway from Lime Street station to Waterfront.

Councillors will be asked to approve the scheme next week, which will be split into two contracts with The Strand being a stand-alone tender.

It is hoped the plan will receive £38.4m from the Government's Local Growth Fund with the rest of the cost coming from local match funding.

If the council's cabinet approves the plan next Friday it will go out to tender.

The cabinet will then receive detailed costs, timelines and further recommendations.

The Strand would be more cycle-friendly in the scheme