Media centre

Friday 28 Jun 2019

Road reopens after major railway bridge replacement in Liverpool

Region & Route:

North West & Central

A road closed for the renewal of an important railway bridge which serves Liverpool Freight Terminal has officially reopened today (Friday 28 June).

Church Road in Garston has been closed to pedestrians and traffic since March for the Great North Rail Project upgrade.

Structural defects found in the old bridge meant it had to be entirely rebuilt to modern standards.

Now the Network Rail upgrade is complete it will provide a safe and reliable crossing over Church Road for freight trains for decades to come.

Officially reopening the road and bridge today was MP for Garston and Halewood Maria Eagle.

Joel Farrell, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said: “Work to rebuild Church Road bridge has been completed as part of the Great North Rail Project and will ensure the bridge remains safe and reliable for the next 125 years.

“I’d like to say a huge thanks to members of the community in Garston who have been inconvenienced by the closure of Church Road.”

Maria Eagle, MP for Garston and Halewood, said: “I’m really pleased that the renewal work has now been completed and the roads and pavements that go under the bridge are now reopened.

“I’d like to thank Network Rail for helping the community under the bridge cope with the inconvenience, particularly with the shuttle bus. It is really good to see that the road and pavements can now be used again in safety.”

Network Rail has worked closely with residents throughout the closure to keep them connected to the town centre with a shuttle bus service.

Efforts have also been made with the contractor to ensure the least possible noise while the work took place.