The biggest road-cleaning operation in Sefton’s history has got underway – providing a summer-long makeover to the busy A5036 and surrounding areas.
Specialist workers have been drafted in to transform the major route, making it cleaner and greener for road users and pedestrians.
The deep clean comes after Sefton’s Cabinet identified the work as a priority, and council officers explored new ways of working with National Highways and its contractors.
Litter, weeds and grime along the four-mile dual carriageway from Seaforth docks through Litherland and Netherton to Switch Island, Aintree, will be tackled by skilled staff at nighttime over the next six weeks while lane closures are in operation.
Cllr Peter Harvey, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene, said: “People will see improvement from today. We all know that the general appearance of the A5036 has not been good enough – sadly, it’s become dirty and strewn with litter. It’s a mess for motorists and for pedestrians on their daily travels including families on the school run.
“Above everything, we’ve listened to residents who told us they just want the mess sorted. They don’t care who is responsible for what bit of road or pavement, they just want something done about it. So, we’ve sat down with everyone involved and agreed to get a dedicated team in for six weeks to work throughout the night to minimise disruption and give it the deep clean it needs.”
With an estimated 40,000 vehicles a day using the port access road – consisting of Princess Way, Church Road and Dunnings Bridge Road – the carriageway and traffic islands have become an eyesore due to the challenges of mechanical sweeping alongside high-speed traffic.
Historically, the A5036 cleaning duties for the dual carriageway, central reservations, pavements, and underpasses have been done by Sefton Council, while National Highways have had responsibility for grass cutting.
The work will be carried out on behalf of the council by Multevo, who have significant experience of delivering this type of work within traffic management closures.
Cllr Harvey added: “Our area attracts growing numbers of visitors heading to Liverpool or Bootle, Crosby and Waterloo, so we want to make the best impression. The aim is to give the road a complete clean so we can start afresh and keep on top of it going forwards.”
Bootle MP Peter Dowd, who has campaigned for A5036 improvements in Commons debates, said: “I am so pleased that a solution has been agreed thanks to innovative working by Sefton Council officers in partnership with National Highways.
“I know from listening to my constituents how important this road is and how, as well as being safe, it should also be clean. Clean streets matter for many reasons – from quiet side roads to our busiest dual carriageways. And we are all responsible for keeping our streets clean.
“Motorists can do their bit by not throwing rubbish out of their vehicles – it’s amazing how much stuff gets chucked out on to the carriageway and grass verges. If we all work together, we can achieve a positive difference, making the A5036 a gateway into our borough that we can be proud of.”
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