GRAHAM has completed a redevelopment of The Strand, one of Liverpool’s most famous roads, making it more cycle-friendly, improving public spaces and reducing congestion.

Pedestrians and cyclists will now benefit from improved links between the city centre shopping areas and the waterfront leisure district as part of the wider £60m Liverpool City Centre Connectivity (LCCC) Scheme.

As part of the project, GRAHAM's civil engineering team created approximately 21,000m2 of public realm space, 800m of new two-way segregated cycle lanes and installed feature events spaces created with bespoke granite street furniture to visually enhance the area. GRAHAM's project team also provided traffic signal junction upgrades to improve traffic flows and upgrade the carriageway pavement.

The scheme has rationalised and simplified junctions running along the Strand Corridor, helping to improve efficiency and redistribution of existing carriageway width, and providing enhanced facilities for pedestrians and cyclists on the highway. The improvements will also make The Strand safer, future-proof the city's infrastructure and help mitigate the impact of climate change.

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The Sustainable Urban Drainage system (SuDs) forms part of the EU Horizon 2020 URBAN GreenUP; a global research and innovation project that is helping to deliver aspects of the Mersey Forest Plan in Liverpool. Over 130 new trees were also planted, many of which utilise a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) with architectural lighting improvements. The innovative SuDs being used on The Strand will reduce the pressure on the grids and gullies during periods of heavy rainfall reducing the need for excess water to go into the drainage system, alleviating flooding whilst helping the green infrastructure.

On completion of Phase One of The Strand redevelopment, GRAHAM's Civil Engineering Highways Director, Dave Brown, said: "We are delighted to have delivered the first phase of this flagship highways project, which will radically transform Liverpool city centre's transport links and enhance the city's major routes, benefitting motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.

"This is The Strand's first redevelopment since the 1950s. Previously the route has suffered from gridlocked traffic at peak times, and we hope the simplified design will relieve congestion and improve traffic flow."