The road will be redesigned to tackle a major problem
Walton Vale in Liverpool(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
A major Liverpool road will close next week due to poor air quality. Walton Vale is a popular destination in the city with a range of venues from traditional pubs to music lounges and takeaways.
However, the area has also come under scrutiny for its poor air quality. The road is part of the A59, a busy thoroughfare that connects Liverpool city centre to Aintree and the M58.
Road traffic is the main source of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), one of the most harmful pollutant gases, which irritates the lungs and potentially causes breathing difficulties.
According to the EU, the annual mean concentration of NO2 should not exceed 40µg/m3. The ECHO reported in 2020 that Walton Vale’s level had an average of 51µg/m3.
According to Let’s Clear the Air Liverpool, an organisation run by Liverpool City Council, the average in the area over 2024 was 43.5µg/m3.
When asked by a resident on Walton Vale about its plans to tackle poor air quality, the council’s air quality team said it is planning to close a section of the road from Tuesday (May 27) for four to six nights to address the issue.
The letter warns that air pollution levels are still exceeding the limit for air pollution and as a result the road layout for part of Walton Vale will be redesigned.
The bus stop will be pushed back towards Longmoor Lane. Two southbound lanes and one northbound lane between Orrell Lane and Warbreck Moor/Longmoor Lane will be created too. It is hoped both of these will improve traffic flow and therefore improve air quality.
The letter, seen by the ECHO, said: “In October 2018, the council was instructed by the government to produce a Clean Air Plan (CAP) with the aim being to look at how air quality could be improved by reducing the levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in the air, in the ‘shortest possible time’.
“For information, NO2 is a gas produced by burning fossil fuels, with one of the biggest sources coming from vehicles with diesel engines. Research has shown that NO2 particularly affects children and people with existing respiratory problems.
“The acceptable maximum level of NO2 set by the Government is an annual mean of 40.45 micrograms of particles per cubic metre of air. As part of the CAP work undertaken by the council, it has been identified that the Walton Vale corridor (Orrell Lane to Warbreck Moor/Longmoor Lane) is showing levels of NO2 which currently exceed this.
“A study has found that several factors relating to the building and highway layout, and how traffic uses the corridor, are contributing to the exceedance in levels.
“The solutions we have found for this are to;
1) relocate the southbound Walton Vale bus stop on Walton Vale, further back towards Longmoor Lane, and
2) create 2 southbound lanes and 1 northbound lane between Orrell Lane and Warbreck Moor/Longmoor Lane which will enable traffic to flow more efficiently and reduce the amount of air pollution.
“Liverpool City Council will be implementing these changes and are currently planning for the works to take place from 27th May 2025.
“This will involve a road closure for four to six nights which will be in place between 7pm and 6am each night. Prior to the works starting, signs will be erected in the area displaying the dates of the closure and a diversion route will be signed during the works.
“As part of the scheme, the council will continue to monitor the levels of air quality and traffic flow. Following the planned changes, if the desired levels are not achieved, further solutions will be developed to address this in order to ensure the standards are met.”