Thornton Bypass - aerial photos show progress on the £19.5million road scheme.....

Aerial images show the progress of the Thornton to Switch Island Link Road

Aerial photographs have been released showing progress on the multi-million pound Thornton Bypass.

Sefton Council has admitted the project is slightly behind schedule but should be completed by next Spring.

Aerial images show the progress of the Thornton to Switch Island Link Road

The road aims to ease congestion for the 25,000 motorists who commute from Southport to Liverpool every day.

Contractors Balfour Beatty started work on the scheme last January following years of uncertainty over the prospect of a Sefton relief road.

The main road surface is now starting to be laid on the western stretch between Thornton and Brickwall Lane.

The current phase of works at Switch Island to provide the connection to the new road is planned to finish in early December. Another short phase of mainly night-time working will be required at Switch Island in the New Year.

A spokesman for Sefton Council said: “Bad weather at the start of the year and challenging ground conditions mean the project is slightly behind schedule, but the long-awaited bypass is expected to open in Spring 2015.”

The new 2.8 mile link road will be known as the A5758 Broom’s Cross Road. Broom’s Cross is the site of a medieval wayside cross near Thornton.

When complete, the road is expected to reduce peak hour journey times by up to seven minutes between Thornton and Switch Island.

It will also take high volumes of ‘through traffic’ out of the communities of Netherton and Thornton.

The road is costing £19.5m - with £14.5m from the Department for Transport and £5m from Sefton Council.

Cllr John Fairclough, Sefton council’s cabinet member for transportation, said: “These photos show that construction of this fantastic new road is now reaching its final stages.

“Brooms Cross Road will answer decades of calls for a bypass in this area and we thank residents for their patience as the project nears completion.

“Like many major engineering projects, there have been some unforeseen challenges along the way, but our contractor Balfour Beatty is working very hard to hand over the completed road as quickly as possible.”

Story and Photo Source: Southport Visitor