Switch Island

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Switch Island
Switch Island, Merseyside (5).JPG
Dunnings Bridge Road looking towards Ormskirk and showing the characteristic flat and isolated landscape
Switch Island
Location
Sefton, Merseyside
Coordinates 53°29′37″N2°57′10″W / 53.4936°N 2.9527°W / 53.4936; -2.9527
Roads at
junction
Construction
Opened1930s (small roundabout),
2010s (current formation)
Maintained by National Highways
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Switch Island
Location in Merseyside
UK motorways map (pale lines).svg
Red pog.svg
Switch Island
Location in UK motorway network

Switch Island is a major road junction near Aintree in Merseyside, England, in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton. The junction is at the western terminus of both the M57 and M58 motorways, which converge on the A59 trunk road, the north-south route from Liverpool. The junction is also the terminus of the A5036, a road which serves the Port of Liverpool, and the A5758 which serves as a bypass for the village of Thornton.

Contents

For the period between the 1930s and mid 1970s, the island was a simple roundabout formation until the arrival of the motorways. The junction was significantly expanded in 1980 and was initially planned to be an interim layout, however subsequent additions and amendments throughout the years, separate to the original intentions, has transformed it from the original roundabout design and then-envisaged grade separated junction.

The junction carries up to 100,000 vehicles a day with continued improvements being a priority for National Highways. The through route of the dual carriageway is not the A59 south to the A59 north, but from the A5036 south to the A59 north, effectively resulting in two motorways and the port road feeding onto the A59 through route. Switch Island has been described as one of England’s busiest motorway junctions [1] and is prone to traffic collisions due to its extensive utilisation and inadequate layout. [2]

History

Original formation

The first roundabout layout, linking the A59 road to what was then the A567 road Switch Island Roundabout.png
The first roundabout layout, linking the A59 road to what was then the A567 road

The junction originates from the construction of Dunnings Bridge Road during the 1930s, [3] linking what is now known as the A59 to the A5036 (then known as the A567 road). [4] [5] A simple roundabout was constructed sometime during the 1930s - 1940s [6] and remained in this unchanged configuration until construction of the M57 motorway reached the island in 1974.

The original island remained virtually unchanged for almost 40 years, until the new motorway joined the road and the original island fell out of use as the layout around it changed to accommodate roads for the motorway junction. A road map from 1975 shows the original island alongside new roads to the east connecting the motorway, despite suggesting it was not functional in its original roundabout configuration. [7]

Motorway junctions

Switch Island with the then-new M57 connected Switch Island Junction with M57.png
Switch Island with the then-new M57 connected

During phase 2 of the M57 construction in the mid 1970s, the motorway was routed to terminate at the junction, which involved constructing a new link road for the entry and exit sliproads, with the original roundabout becoming largely redundant. The new road connecting the M57 motorway would later become the eastern section of the future island roundabout.

The previous two-way traffic road changed to a northbound route only, with southbound traffic now using the new motorway link road, connecting up to the A59 road at what was the former roundabout.

Switch Island after M58 motorway construction Switch Island Junction with M58.png
Switch Island after M58 motorway construction

Subsequent to the M58 motorway being constructed and also linked to the junction, the western half of the island was constructed thus completing a roundabout island that was entirely separate to what had been originally constructed prior to the motorways. The plans for the two motorways involved them converging at this junction then continuing west, whilst the A59 continued uninterrupted under (or over) the island in a grade separation arrangement, with slip roads to and from the junction. These plans never saw fruition and instead all roads converge at a single flat level intersection junction.

Aside from various improvement works over the years, the configuration of the island from 1980 onwards has changed little, with the exception of considerably more traffic utilising the junction and additional roads being constructed within and to the junction.

Junction improvements

The junction underwent a minor redesign in 2006 when new section of carriageway was built at the M57 terminus, allowing motorists to directly transfer onto either the A5036 or A59 roads. [8] The primary objective was to ensure the junction could withstand the predicted increase in road traffic for the next decade and help improve the flow of an estimated 43,000 vehicles daily. [8] At this time, the island was handling up to 80,000 vehicles every day, of which 10% were heavy goods vehicles and resulting in extensive traffic queues leading to increased risks of traffic accidents. [9] The roadworks completed in Spring 2006, resulting in a revised junction layout and removing the roundabout configuration. A short stretch of the original roundabout remained in existence to be utilised as an inspection area and weighbridge, operated by the Vehicle Inspectorate; this was reconstructed following construction of the new Thornton to Switch island link road which has carriageway in some parts of the old roundabout.

In September 2013, Sefton Council approved construction of the long-campaigned [10] Thornton to Switch island link road, which started construction towards the end of the 2013 calendar year [11] and opened on 19 August 2015 as the A5758 Broom's Cross Road. The route connects to the junction at its western side and provides a more efficient route from the A565 road. Further improvements were announced in April 2017 for work to take place during 2018, including new traffic light installations, changes to lane markings, new barriers between carriageways and improved signage. [12]

In May 2018 these roadworks were named as the most dangerous in England. [13]

Operation

The junction is prone to traffic collisions, which has been exacerbated since the opening of the Thornton bypass in 2015. This has further complicated and changed an already complex and congested junction, which is one of Europe's busiest road junctions. [14] Motorists have identified unclear and missing road markings as contributing towards the increase in collisions at the island, resulting in Sefton Council, who are responsible for the junction, making a number of amendments during 2016 as a result of feedback and ongoing reviews. [2] In a 5 year period throughout 2013-2017, there were over 60 collisions at the junction, of which around 10% were classed as severe. [15] As of 2017, an estimated 90,000 vehicles a day pass through the island. [12]

Routes

The junction serves the following routes, some of which terminate at the island;

RouteDestination(s)
M57 Kirkby, Liverpool (S) & Airport, Birmingham (M6), Manchester (M62)
M58 Skelmersdale, Preston (M6)
A59 Liverpool, Ormskirk, Southport (A570)
A5036 Bootle, All Docks
A5758 Southport, Formby (A565), Thornton, Sefton, Crosby

Future proposals

Proposals have been put forward by Highways England to build a new link road through Rimrose Valley to ease congestion on the A5036 route for traffic heading towards the motorways via Switch Island. The proposal has been met with local opposition, with suggestions that the road through the valley would be destructive towards public health, wildlife and air quality. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roundabout</span> Traffic intersection

A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are all, with certain distinctions between them, a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M1 motorway</span> First inter-urban motorway in the UK

The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the country was the Preston Bypass, which later became part of the M6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M40 motorway</span> British motorway connecting London and Birmingham

The M40 motorway links London, Oxford, and Birmingham in England, a distance of approximately 89 miles (143 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M62 motorway</span> Motorway in the United Kingdom

The M62 is a 107-mile-long (172 km) west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting Liverpool and Hull via Manchester, Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield; 7 miles (11 km) of the route is shared with the M60 orbital motorway around Manchester. The road is part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M5 motorway</span> Motorway in England

The M5 is a motorway in England linking the Midlands with the South West. It runs from junction 8 of the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley. It continues past Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa, Worcester, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Bristol, Portishead, Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater, Taunton, Tiverton, Cullompton terminating at junction 31 for Exeter. Congestion on the section south of the M4 is common during the summer holidays, on Friday afternoons and bank holidays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A57 road</span> Road in England

The A57 is a major road in England. It runs east from Liverpool to Lincoln via Warrington, Salford and Manchester, and then through the Pennines over the Snake Pass (between the high moorlands of Bleaklow and Kinder Scout), around the Ladybower Reservoir, through Sheffield and past Worksop. Between Liverpool and Glossop, the road has largely been superseded by the M62, M602 and M67 motorways. Within Manchester a short stretch becomes the Mancunian Way, designated A57(M).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A31 road</span> Major trunk road in southern England

The A31 is a major trunk road in southern England that runs from Guildford in Surrey to Bere Regis in Dorset. Its most well known section is the Hog's Back, a hilly ridge forming part of the North Downs, in the Surrey stretch between Guildford and Farnham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A59 road</span> Road in Northern England

The A59 is a major road in England which is around 109 miles (175 km) long and runs from Wallasey, Merseyside to York, North Yorkshire. The alignment formed part of the Trunk Roads Act 1936, being then designated as the A59. It is a key route connecting Merseyside at the M53 motorway to Yorkshire, passing through three counties and connecting to various major motorways. The road is a combination of historical routes combined with contemporary roads and a mixture of dual and single carriageway. Some sections of the A59 in Yorkshire closely follow the routes of Roman roads, some dating back to the Middle Ages as salt roads, whilst much of the A59 in Merseyside follows Victorian routes which are largely unchanged to the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M57 motorway</span> Motorway encircling Liverpool, England

The M57 motorway, also known as the Liverpool Outer Ring Road, is a motorway in England. Designed as a ring road for Liverpool, it is 10 miles (16 km) long between Tarbock Green and Switch lsland, and links various towns east of the city, as well as the M62 and M58 motorways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M58 motorway</span> Motorway in England

The M58 is a motorway passing through Merseyside and Lancashire, terminating in Greater Manchester. It is 12 miles (19.3 km) long and provides a link between the M6 motorway and the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton and hence on, via the A5036, to the Mersey docks in Liverpool and Birkenhead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherton, Merseyside</span> Human settlement in England

Netherton is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A500 road</span> Road in England

The A500 is a major primary A road in Staffordshire and Cheshire, England. It is dual carriageway for most of its length and connects Nantwich, junctions 16 and 15 of the M6 motorway with the city of Stoke-on-Trent. It is 19 miles (31 km) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A5036 road</span> Road in Merseyside, England

The A5036 is a road in Merseyside, England, which comprises two sections separated by a gap of around 1.6 miles (2.6 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A565 road</span> Road in England

The A565 is a road in England that is around 27.5 miles (44.3 km) long and runs from Liverpool in Merseyside to Tarleton in Lancashire. It is a primary route linking the town of Southport to Liverpool and to Preston, having been designated a trunk road as part of the Trunk Roads Act 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A5300 road</span> Road in England

The A5300 or Knowsley Expressway is a major road in Merseyside, England. It runs 3 miles (4.8 km) from its junction with the A562 to its junction with the M62, where it becomes the M57, providing a major north–south route through the borough. Along its course it crosses the Liverpool to Manchester Line Southern route. The road cost £47.3 million when it was constructed during 1995–1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A556 road</span> Road in Cheshire

The A556 is a road in England which extends from the village of Delamere in Cheshire West and Chester to the Bowdon Interchange in Cheshire East, bordering Greater Manchester. The road contains a mixture of single and dual carriageway sections and forms a large part of the route between Manchester and Chester. It also acts as a major access route to Chester/North Wales to the west and to Manchester to the east for the conurbation of towns and villages around the Dane Valley centering on Winsford and Northwich. The central part, which forms the Northwich Bypass between Davenham and Lostock Gralam, suffers because of the amount of commuter traffic from this area. The part of the route between the M6 motorway Junction 19 and the M56 motorway Junction 7 is a major route into Manchester and has been recently upgraded to a four-lane dual carriageway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A725 road</span> Road in Scotland

The A725 road in Scotland is a major route which is a trunk road dual carriageway for almost its whole length, connecting several of the large towns of North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire, linking the M8 and M74 motorways; it has been upgraded frequently since its construction, with the most recent major work completed in 2017. In combination with the A726 road which meets the M77 motorway, it forms a southern and eastern bypass for the city of Glasgow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A629 road</span> Primary A road in Yorkshire, England

The A629 road is an inter-Yorkshire road that runs from Skipton to Rotherham through Keighley, Halifax, Huddersfield and Chapeltown in Yorkshire, England. The road runs through North, West and South Yorkshire, but before 1974, the entire length of the road was wholly within the boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire. It is designated as a primary route through most of its length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rimrose Valley</span>

Rimrose Valley is a 3.5 km (2.2 mi) country park and valley which forms a border between Crosby and Litherland in the borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal on its eastern edge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A5758 road</span> Road in Merseyside, England

The A5758 road is a 2.2-mile (3.5 km) single-carriageway road in Merseyside, England, constructed during 2014–15 and linking the A565 road in Thornton to Switch Island junction. The road is officially named the A5758 Broom's Cross Road, with Broom's Cross being the site of a medieval wayside cross near Thornton and the road numbering referencing the two motorways the road links to, the M57 and M58 motorway respectively.

References

  1. "LED road studs stop drivers 'drifting'". BBC News. 5 February 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Switch Island and new Thornton bypass isn't safe, say frustrated motorists". Liverpool Echo. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  3. "Old Maps - Lancashire 1937". Old-Maps.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  4. "Georeferenced maps viewer - Switch Island early 1900s". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  5. "Georeferenced maps viewer - Switch Island 1945-1947". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  6. "Georeferenced maps viewer - Switch Island 1955-1961". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  7. "Old Maps - Lancashire 1967-1976". Old-Maps.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  8. 1 2 "£5m Switch Island project underway". Liverpool Echo. 8 September 2005. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  9. Switch Island Junction Improvements, Improved Pedestrian Facilities (PDF) (Report). Sefton Council. 20 May 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  10. "Delight for commuters as £20 million Thornton Link Road set to open". Southport Visiter. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  11. "Council to approve £19m link road". Liverpool Echo. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  12. 1 2 "£3 million to improve journeys and safety at Switch Island". Highways England. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  13. "Switch Island roadworks named England's most lethal". www.theconstructionindex.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  14. "Crash causes traffic on Ormskirk Road". Southport Visiter. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  15. "Crashmap Collision Search". Crash Map. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  16. "Public meetings over proposed £200m road through Rimrose Valley park". Liverpool Echo. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2017.