The road will be closed to address poor air quality in the areaGeneral view of Walton Vale, LiverpoolWalton Vale, Liverpool

A major Liverpool road will close next week after concerns were raised about poor air quality. Walton Vale forms part of the busy A59, the 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. 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. As a result, the council’s air quality team has announced plans to close a section of the road from tomorrow, May 27, for up to seven nights to address the problem.

Merseytravel has published a new bus timetable for services affected by the closure, which will be in place between 7pm and midnight from the junction of Warbreck Avenue to Orrell Lane.

Bus diversions are as follows

Services 20 and 21

  • From Liverpool City Centre will operate as normal to Walton, County Road then via Queens Drive, Walton Hall Avenue, Stopgate Lane, Long Lane to Longmoor Lane then as normal route to Kirkby (omitting Rice Lane, Walton Vale and a section of Longmoor Lane).Alternative bus stops: County Road/Walton Church and; Longmoor Lane/ Poulter Road.
  • From Kirkby will operate as normal to Fazakerley, Longmoor Lane then via Long Lane, Stopgate Lane, Walton Hall Avenue, Queens Drive to County Road then resume normal route to Liverpool City Centre (omitting a section of Longmoor Lane, Walton Vale and Rice Lane).Alternative bus stops: Longmoor Lane/opposite Goodacre Road and; County Road/ Walton Church

Services 61 and 61B

  • From Bootle will operate as normal to Bootle, Northfield Road then via Southport Road, Bailey Drive, Netherton Way, Bridle Road, Park Lane, Warbreck Moor, Hall Lane to Long Lane and resume normal route to Aigburth (omitting a section of Northfield Road, Moss Lane, Orrell Lane, Walton Vale and Longmoor Lane).Alternative bus stops: Northfield Road/Southport Road and; Long Lane/Brookfield Drive.
  • From Aigburth will operate as normal to Aintree, Long Lane these services will continue via Hall Lane, Warbreck Moor, Park Lane, Bridle Road, Netherton Way, Bailey Drive, Southport Road to Northfield Road and resume normal route to Bootle (omitting Longmoor Lane, Walton Vale, Orrell Lane, Moss Lane and a section of Northfield Road).Alternative bus stops: Long Lane/ Hartley Avenue and; Linacre Lane/Fernhill Road.

Service 62

  • From Bootle, North Park will operate as normal to Walton, Breeze Hill then via Queens Drive flyover, Walton Hall Avenue, Stopgate Lane, Long Lane to Longmoor Lane then as normal to Penny Lane (omitting Rice Lane, Walton Vale and a section of Longmoor Lane).Alternative bus stops: North Breeze Hill/Breeze Lane and; Longmoor Lane/Goodacre Road.
  • From Penny Lane will operate as normal to Fazakerley, Longmoor Lane then via Long Lane, Stopgate Lane, Walton Hall Avenue, Queens Drive to Breeze Hill and resume normal route to Bootle, North Park (omitting a section of Longmoor Lane, Walton Vale and Rice Lane).Alternative bus stops: Longmoor Lane/opposite Goodacre Road and North Breeze Hill / Rice Lane.

Walton Vale, LiverpoolWalton Vale, Liverpool(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

Service 135

  • From Bootle will operate as normal to Bootle, Netherton Way then via Bridle Road, Park Lane, Warbreck Moor to Longmoor Lane then resume normal route to Aintree Station (omitting a very short section of Netherton Way, Orrell Lane and Walton Vale).Alternative bus stops: Netherton Way/Savio High School and; Longmoor Lane/ Goodacre Road.
  • From Aintree Station will operate as normal to Fazakerley, Longmoor Lane, then via Hall Lane, Warbreck Moor, Park Lane, Bridle Road to Netherton Way and resume normal route to Bootle (omitting Walton Vale, Orrell Lane, a very short section of Netherton Way).Alternative bus stops: Longmoor Lane/opposite Goodacre Road and; Netherton Way opposite Bridle Lane.

Service 300

  • From Liverpool will operate as normal to Bootle, Aintree Road to the Southport Road Roundabout then via Southport Road, Bailey Drive, Netherton Way, Bridle Road, Park Lane to Ormskirk Road and resume normal route to Lydiate and Southport (omitting a section of Aintree Road, Hornby Road, Rice Lane, Walton Vale and Warbreck Moor).Alternative bus stops: Aintree Road/Fernhill Road and; Ormskirk Road/Aintree Station.
  • From Southport and Lydiate will operate as normal to Aintree, Ormskirk Road then via Park Lane, Bridle Road, Netherton Way, Bailey Drive, Southport Road to Aintree Road and resume normal route to Liverpool (omitting Warbreck Moor, Walton Vale, Orrell Lane, Moss Lane and a section of Northfield Road).Alternative bus stops: Ormskirk Road/Aintree Racecourse and; Aintree Road /Fernhill Road.

Service 310

  • From Liverpool will operate as normal to Walton, Rice Lane then via Hornby Road, Aintree Road, Southport Road, Bailey Drive, Netherton Way, Bridle Road, Park Lane to Ormskirk Road and resume normal route to Ormskirk and Skelmersdale (omitting a section of Rice Lane, Walton Vale and Warbreck Moor).Alternative bus stops: Rice Lane/Rawcliffe Road and; Ormskirk Road/Aintree Station.
  • From Skelmersdale and Ormskirk will operate as normal to Aintree, Ormskirk Road then via Park Lane, Bridle Road, Netherton Way, Bailey Drive, Southport Road, Aintree Road, Hornby Road to Rice Lane and resume normal route to Liverpool (omitting Warbreck Moor, Walton Vale, and a section of Rice Lane).Alternative bus stops: Ormskirk Road/Aintree Racecourse and; Rice Lane/ Fazakerley Road.

Warbreck Moor maybe also be subject to closure between Hall Lane and Longmoor Lane. If this closure takes place, the following additional diversions will occur:

Service 63

  • From Bootle via Crosby will operate as normal to Aintree, Warbreck Moor turn via Hall Lane to Long Lane then as normal to Fazakerley, Aintree University Hospital (omitting a section of Warbreck Moor and Longmoor Lane).Alternative bus stops: Warbreck Moor/Eastbourne Road and; Long Lane/Brookfield Drive.
  • From Fazakerley, Aintree University Hospital will operate as normal to Bootle via Crosby.

Service 121

  • From Aintree Station will operate as normal to Aintree, Warbreck Moor then via Hall Lane to Long Lane then as normal to Fazakerley, Aintree University Hospital (omitting a section of Warbreck Moor and Longmoor Lane).Alternative bus stops: Warbreck Moor/Eastbourne Road and; Long Lane/Brookfield Drive.
  • From Norris Green, Broadway via Muirhead Avenue and Croxteth Hall Lane, Fazakerley, Aintree University Hospital will operate as normal to Aintree Station.

Services 214, 217 / 217A, 345, 721, 723 and 835 are unaffected.