£17.5m Runcorn sustainable transport scheme confirmed
Liverpool City Region has confirmed cycle routes and footpaths for the Merseyside borough.
Phase one of the East Runcorn Connectivity project will see new active travel provision in the area, forming part of a wider initiative that will see the creation of a cycling and walking network spanning 600km created across the region, linking Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and the Wirral.
‘Linking communities, reducing carbon emissions, helping people to be healthier – schemes like this one give us an amazing opportunity to help change the way we think about travelling around our local area,’ said Simon O’Brien, Liverpool City Region’s cycling and walking commissioner.
Halton Council is now in the process of developing further stages in the project, with plans expected to be submitted to the combined authority later this year. Funding is being provided by the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement [CRSTS], with £710million ringfenced for mobility infrastructure, with initial construction to begin this summer, with the first works set to complete by late-2026.
‘It is a key part of my plan to build a London-style public transport network that is faster, cheaper, cleaner, better connected and, crucially, gives people a quality and efficient alternative to driving their car,’ said Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram. ‘The more people we can encourage people to walk or cycle, particularly for short journeys, the faster we can hit our net zero targets, reduce congestion on our roads and improve the quality of air we breathe.
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