MIND THE GAP!

THE dramatic removal of Liverpool's Churchill Way flyovers enters a new phase with the removal of a key central section. The mammoth 70 foot long concrete span, weighing close to 600 tonnes, sits 50 feet above Byrom Street and the traffic using the nearby Birkenhead (Queensway) Tunnel.

Before the tunnel re-opens at 6am on Monday, 14 October 2019, contractors for Liverpool City Council will painstakingly remove the span, which sits at the heart of the Southern Flyover, and then cut it into smaller sections at the site compound, after which it will be taken to a site in North Liverpool, to be crushed.

The pedestrian crossing at Byrom Street under the Southern Flyover will also be closed to the public until Friday, 25 October 2019.  The central section of the Northern Flyover was removed 3 weeks ago and the connecting footbridges have also been dismantled.

The full weekend closure of Byrom Street means the Tunnel will be shut to Liverpool bound traffic only (except buses and emergency vehicles). Wirral bound traffic will be able to use the tunnel as normal. The Wallasey (Kingsway) Tunnel will be open as normal but is expected to be busy, and congestion, as a result of the works, is expected to affect both the approach and exit to the City Centre, including the Tunnels.

Those wishing to travel into and through Liverpool City Centre this weekend are encouraged to use public transport and Merseytravel have provided updated information which can be viewed found on the Merseytravel website.

Due to engineering works on the network, on Sunday, 13 October 2019, rail replacement bus services will be in operation on the Merseyrail line, between Birkenhead Central and Chester / Ellesmere Port, calling all Stations.

Pedestrians needing to get to the LJMU Campus on Byrom Street can go via Hatton Garden to Great Crosshall Street or via William Brown Street, Islington and Hunter Street (when not fully closed).

The highly complex removal of the 50 year old flyovers; each of which are more than 240m in length; that requires a total of 20 spans to be removed in a pre-determined sequence to mitigate impact in a very busy part of the City Centre.

The 4 month long deconstruction programme has necessitated an innovative approach and this has been devised collaboratively, between Amey Consulting, GRAHAM and their specialist contractors.

The phased dismantling of 2 flyovers; which connect Lime Street to Dale Street and Tithebarn Street; have also been devised to minimise vibrations to protect antique art and cultural collections, as well as wildlife housed at the Walker Art Gallery, Central Library and World Museum Liverpool; all of which sit next to the South Flyover.

Liverpool City Council approved this hyper sensitive approach at a cost of ₤6.75m, after the 2 lane highways were closed, at the end of September 2018, following the discovery of construction flaws.

Once the deconstruction is completed in December, alterations will be made to the highway layout around the Hunter Street; Byrom Street; Queensway Tunnel entrance, to improve traffic and pedestrian movements.

The site compound, located on Fontenoy Street, at which the sections are cut into smaller pieces, has required tree removal, but the City Council has plans to double tree numbers as part of a new post flyover masterplan for the area.

Motorists and more information:-

Road closures currently in place for the scheme:-

► Fontenoy Street will remain closed until 15 November 2019.

► A partial closure of Dale Street from Byrom Street to Crosshall Street will be required from 14 October 2019. Surrounding car parks at:- Fontenoy Street, Dale Street, Primrose Hill and Hunter Street have now all closed and will re-open as phases complete from mid November to late December 2019.

If car journeys are necessary, motorists are being redirected to nearby car parks at:- Victoria Street, Mount Pleasant, Queen Square and at the St Johns Shopping Centre.

► For more flyover information including all road closures and diversions go to:- Liverpool.Gov.UK.

Funding for the deconstruction comes from the Liverpool City Centre Connectivity (LCCC) Phase 1 Grant Fund Agreement, which is supported by a ₤38.4m grant from the Local Growth Fund with City Council match funding of ₤8.7m. Local Growth Funding is awarded to the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and invested through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority through its Strategic Investment Fund.

 Councillor Sharon Connor, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Highways, said:- "The deconstruction of the Churchill Way Flyovers is such a complex process and I'd like to thank the engineers and the teams on the ground for their work to date in what has been appalling weather. "Disruption is unfortunately unavoidable, but a lot of thought has gone into the methodology to ensure the inconvenience to City Centre traffic and surrounding buildings is kept to a minimum. Public transport will be the best option this weekend and we urge people to plan ahead when thinking about journeys to the City centre at these times."

Stephen McFaul, Contracts Manager for GRAHAM, said:- "This is a critical project on behalf of Liverpool City Council and will support the continued transformation of the flyovers into a safe, secure area. We are currently working on a number of projects throughout the City and will once again apply our collaborative approach and technical expertise to maximise the success of this project."

Gary Evans, Assistant Director of Customer Delivery, at Merseytravel, said:- "Whilst the work to deconstruct the Churchill Way Flyovers is ongoing, we're working closely with Liverpool City Council and other partners to keep people moving. We advise people coming into the City Centre to drive only if absolutely necessary and consider other options including bus, train, walking or cycling. It's also important to plan ahead and leave plenty of time for your journey to allow for road diversions and rail engineering works in place this weekend. For more information about travel options, please check the Merseytravel.Gov.UK or bus and rail operator websites and travel planners."

Christmas chaos set to hit as a new wave of industrial action set to hit festive shoppers

IT was hoped that the Rail and Maritime Transport workers union (RMT) row that is focused on the role of Merseyrail Guards on the new trains was over and the strike action had ended. Sadly, on Friday, 11 October 2019, the row over how the doors to the new trains will be operated has erupted again with the Union again calling for strike action. It has also said that they are also entering into an 'avoidance of disputes meeting' to discuss the various options and the dispute. In a press statement the RMT have said that:- "Management must be left in no doubt that we will do everything to ensure a safe and secure railway and will not allow the Safety Critical Role of the Guard be decimated by a company putting profit before safety." (Name and contact information supplied, but withheld.)

Is the mood of the public, up to now largely supportive of the RMT Action, now starting to swing? For many small businesses on Merseyside, this could not have come at a worse time. Many are relying on good sales from Christmas to see them though what is a very difficult time. A shop owner in Southport said:- "With the Labour Party threatening to massively hike up wages, should they win a General Election, the threat of another recession looming, along with the increasing BREXIT uncertainty, many small businesses say that come January, 2020 could be shaping up to become a very bad year tradewise. This is the last straw. We are struggling and many are running off 2nd or 3rd mortgages, just to keep our staff employed and our shops open. The last thing we need is loss of trade on a Saturday, in the build up to Christmas. That is what will happen if this action takes place. The last few recent strikes we have had on Merseyside have resulted in us losing money. Will the RMT pay our staff lost wages if we are forced to close? Is there no other way for them to get the point across, other than damaging the area with Strike Action?"

In reaction, Merseyrail have stated that:- "We are extremely disappointed that the recent exploratory technical workshops between the RMT, ourselves and Merseytravel have resulted in the announcement of further strike action. It is especially disappointing given that there is now a guarantee of a Guard on every new train, with a safety critical role and that we were so close to an agreement to end this dispute. The RMT has announced further strikes on the Merseyrail network on every Saturday from 2 November to 28 December 2019, but our priority now is to run the best possible service and communicate the arrangements with our passengers as soon as possible."

The RMT's National Executive Committee is currently instructing that all:- Merseyrail Guard, Guard Standard Managers and Train Drivers not to book on for any shifts that commence between:-

►  00.01 hours until 23.59 hours, on Saturday, 2 November 2019.

►  00.01 hours until 23.59 hours, on Saturday, 9 November 2019.

►  00.01 hours until 23.59 hours, on Saturday, 16 November 2019.

►  00.01 hours until 23.59 hours, on Saturday, 23 November 2019.

►  00.01 hours until 23.59 hours, on Saturday, 30 November 2019.

►  00.01 hours until 23.59 hours, on Saturday, 7 December 2019.

►  00.01 hours until 23.59 hours, on Saturday, 14 December 2019.

►  00.01 hours until 23.59 hours, on Saturday, 21 December 2019.

►  00.01 hours until 23.59 hours, on Saturday, 28 December 2019.

The union said that it will also instruct members not to work any overtime or rest days, from 00.01 hours, on Sunday, 3 November 2019, until further notice.

We would love to know your thoughts on this issue... Are you involved in the strike and can explain more about the issues you are fighting management over? Are you affected by the strike, should it go ahead? Do you think it will be disastrous for small businesses on Merseyside and the straw that broke the camel's back, or is it just an excuse for failing businesses to hide behind? Please do let us know... Please tell us your views on this issue via emailing us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com as we would love to know.

If you contact us:- Please note that like with the shop owner we mentioned within this report, we are happy to hide your names if you request it, should you worry it might result in upset for customers or worry to staff and/or your family. Please let us know, then we will not release your name on this occasion.