A MAJOR investment is being made to improve a crucial road link to Halton.

Knowsley Council is spending £5.3 million to improve the Knowsley Expressway and Speke Road junction.

The A5300 access and connectivity improvements scheme will be the second major transport initiative to be delivered in the Liverpool City Region following the devolution of funding from the Department for Transport.

The A5300 Knowsley Expressway and A562 Speke Road provide a crucial link to key established and developing sites such as the 3MG Mersey Multi-Modal Gateway in Widnes, the Mersey Gateway Project, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Getrag and Jaguar Land Rover and their supplier park.

The investment will focus on improvements to the junction of the A5300 and A562 to reduce sever congestion during peak times and to ensure the junction can meet current and future demand to support economic growth.

Cllr Mike Murphy, Knowsley’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development said: “The junction at the Knowsley Expressway and Speke Road is one of the most important transport links for Knowsley and for the Liverpool City Region. But at the moment it is also one of the most heavily congested.

“These major improvements will help to relieve congestion problems, making it easier and faster to transport goods and people. It will also ensure that the junction is future proof and can cope with more traffic as a result of ongoing and proposed developments in the area.”

There will be overnight lane closures of the A562 Speke Road westbound exit slip road to its roundabout junction with the A5300 and both carriageways of the A5300 Knowsley Expressway from 10pm to 5pm from Monday, January 18 to Wednesday, January 20.

The diversion route for vehicles affected by the closure will be via the M62, A557 Watkinson Way, A557 Queensway, A562 Ashley Way, A562 Speke Road, as shown on this plan.

In addition, the free flow slip that connects the southbound A5300 carriageway to the A562 Speke Road will be closed for the duration of the works.

To minimise disruption, two lanes will be maintained on the A5300 southbound approach to the roundabout and the signal timings will be modified.