Fire crew were spotted at the crossroads earlier today
Fire crew at the junction this afternoon(Image: Supplied)
There has been another crash at one of Liverpool’s most dangerous road junctions. The crossing where the busy three-lane Childwall Valley Road meets Chislehurst Avenue at a sharp 90-degree angle was cited as one of four “high-risk collision hotspots” by Merseyside Police last year.
When the ECHO visited the Belle Vale junction with police officers at the time, we saw a driver approaching the junction at Chislehurst Avenue with a child in the back who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. We have reported on a total of six crashes at the junction over the last six years.
However, residents on Chislehurst Avenue told the ECHO last month this doesn’t include the minor bumps and near misses that never make it to the press and live in constant fear of dangerous crashes.
They claimed the junction has poor visibility and drivers assume Childwall Valley Road has a 40mph speed limit because it has three lanes, when it is in fact 30mph. Fears were also raised about double-decker buses that have to slow right down to turn on to Chislehurst Avenue, as well as the number of children from the nearby Gateacre School who cross the road.
The ECHO was told about another crash that took place at the junction this afternoon. A picture from a doorbell camera shows a fire engine parked up on Childwall Valley Road, with fire fighters patrolling the road and traffic being brought at a temporary halt.
A resident said: “Another crash has just happened now, not sure if anyone is injured, (it’s) the same thing again.”
Fire crew at the junction this afternoon(Image: Supplied)
A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service confirmed fire crews were called to Childwall Valley Road this afternoon to the scene of a crash. Crews were altered at 1.04pm and arrived three minutes later with two fire engines.
Two cars had crashed and both were on all four wheels. Everyone was out of the vehicles and no one was injured.
With no further action required, crews left the scene at 1.23pm.
Residents Maxine Martin and Astrid Christianson told the ECHO last month they have repeatedly reported the issue to Liverpool City Council and local councillor Ruth Bennett for years, but are always told that the council is just “waiting for a start date” for improvement works to begin.
The junction last month, with police tape and smashed glass from a previous crash still visible(Image: Jamie Greer/Liverpool ECHO)
They are confused as to why it is taking so long for work to start and why other, smaller measures to improve the junction can’t be introduced in the meantime.
Maxine’s suggestions include a new set of traffic lights and a pedestrian crossing on the main road, speed cameras, clear 30mph speed limit signs and speed limit warnings built into the road that light up when drivers are speeding. An example of the latter is on Booker Avenue in Allerton, close to a junior school.
Maxine said: “Nothing’s been done. I get upset when Ruth says it’s due to driver error. There’s got to be some sort of an issue with the road layout.
“It’s two lanes going into town on one side; it’s a really busy road, and it’s hard to see sometimes when it’s particularly busy or the visibility is bad.
“Then people come up in the outside lane really fast because they probably think it’s a 40 (mph speed limit) road – there’s two lanes on one side.
“In the summer, there seemed to be quite a lot of crashes. There was a period where it did seem to be weekly. It’s probably every few weeks now.”
“It’s upsetting for us when we see on our WhatsApp group that there’s been another crash. We’ve had to go out to help people. It’s very upsetting. We keep on thinking, Someone’s going to be dead.”
In response to these claims, a Liverpool City Council spokesperson told the ECHO: “We are aware of concerns regarding the junction at Childwall Valley Road and Chislehurst Avenue, and the safety of all road users remains a priority.
Maxine Martin on the corner of Chislehurst Avenue and Childwall Valley Road(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“We have developed proposals to improve safety and traffic flow along this stretch of Childwall Valley Road as part of wider work to address speeding and collision risks in the area.
“These plans will be discussed with local councillors and shared with key partners, including the emergency services and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, before a final design is confirmed. The improvements are expected to be completed later this year.”
Cllr Bennett said: “Residents have come to me over a number of years about the number of collisions at the junctions along Childwall Valley Road and in particular with Chislehurst Avenue. I know how distressing it is in particular for people who live near to that junction.
“I have arranged for officers from the council’s Highways team to visit this junction and look at the layout of the road numerous times and last year attended again with council officers and Merseyside Police to look at this junction.
“Whilst most of the accidents are caused by human error, and both council officers and the police have explained to me the visibility at the junction is good, I believe the layout of Childwall Valley Road could be improved to a single lane in either direction.
“I am meeting with council officers again this week to look at the plans for improvements on Childwall Valley Road and will ask that this work be done urgently.”