§ Mr. Simon Mahonasked the Minister of Transport when the Litherland Lift Bridge diversion will be completed; and whether she will take steps to improve road access to the new dock at Seaforth in advance of that scheme.
§ Mrs. CastleWe hope to complete the Litherland Lift Bridge diversion by 1972. This diversion will connect the new dock 267W with the dual carriageway length of trunk road A567. By the same date the first stage should be completed of the Liverpool outer ring road, a Lancashire County Council scheme connecting the easterly end of trunk road A567 with the East Lancashire Road, trunk road A580. The two schemes together should afford excellent communications between the new dock and the East Lancashire Road.
In order to improve access to the new dock between its opening and the completion of the Litherland Lift Bridge diversion, I have agreed to bring forward schemes for the widening of Rimrose Bridge and Rimrose Road, which were included last August in the Merseyside conurbation's programme for the early 1970s, so that they may start in mid-1969 and be completed in 1970. In conjunction with other work in hand this will provide a greatly improved route to the East Lancashire Road, and it will also facilitate communications with Liverpool and the Mersey Tunnels.