Liverpool is experiencing 'sheer madness' on its roads, with commuters reporting 'gridlock' across the city. There are currently 1,457 roadwork projects scheduled in the city over the next week and beyond, including 111 projects that will require full or partial road closures. The situation has sparked numerous complaints, particularly about overnight works in residential areas causing severe noise disturbances.
Queens Drive: A Hotspot for Disruption
Many complaints have centered on the five-mile stretch along Queens Drive, one of the city's main transport arteries. A mini-tour by the Liverpool ECHO confirmed bumper-to-bumper traffic, including an 800-metre queue near The Rocket pub. It took about one hour to reach the north end of the city, where further roadworks on Rice Lane added to delays.
Not all closures are related to Liverpool City Council (LCC) works; many are managed by utility companies upgrading infrastructure. However, several projects are facilitated by LCC, including at the junction of Queens Drive and Dovedale Road in Mossley Hill, where residents have complained about poor planning and anti-social working hours.
Residents and Councillor Speak Out
Local councillor and former Lord Mayor Richard Kemp visited the site after receiving complaints about overnight works, some lasting until 2.30am. He said: "This work was undertaken without reference to me as the local councillor or even the council's engineering department who are responsible for the contract. I'm pleased that I was able to stop the work taking place overnight after two nights and to receive a reassurance that no further night work will take place to disturb [residents'] peace."
Mannie Saunders, 67, who lives about three metres from the site, recorded videos of the noise, one timestamped at around 10.30pm. He said he had to keep windows and doors closed due to dust and noise, adding: "It was just horrendous, it really was bad." He also noted: "We received one letter, but nothing which detailed the scope or scale of what's been going on. It's just madness."
Wider Impact and Complaints
Cllr Kemp highlighted the broader impact: "There are times when people in this area have been trying to get into town, and there have been three or four lots of roadworks which have caused huge problems." He added: "There's no coherence."
On July 31, LCC published an update on Facebook detailing roadworks along Queens Drive, affecting locations such as Heywood Road, East Prescot Road, Alder Road, Mill Lane, Townsend Avenue, Utting Avenue, and Stanley Park Avenue North to Walton Hall Avenue. Comments included "Too many roadworks it's crazy" and "The city is gridlocked."
Social media posts echoed these sentiments. One anonymous contributor on the West Derby Village Facebook group mentioned delays around Eaton Road and Queens Drive. A respondent wrote: "[I've] just done a journey that normally takes me 45 minutes to complete this morning the same journey took 2 hours." Another added: "Crazy crazy crazy .. who the hell plans these closures all at the same time … In the same area. Sheer madness."
Rice Lane and Bus Diversions
For three weeks until August 28, parts of Rice Lane are reduced to one lane in both directions, with 40 days of highway improvement and utility works. This has caused delays, especially during rush hour, with traffic backed up across the nearby roundabout onto County Road. At the corner of Lancaster Street and Rice Lane, the road was completely excavated, with queues behind temporary traffic lights.
Arriva and Merseytravel confirmed that four bus services (68, 68B, 310, and 345) will be diverted during the works. One local resident called the situation a 'complete nightmare', saying: "Whether you have your own car or rely on public transport, it's almost impossible to get onto Rice Lane now, never mind travel down it."
Council Response
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: "Roadworks play an essential role in maintaining and improving the network for all road users, while utility works are necessary to provide the services that power our homes, businesses, and communities. The authority receives a high number of requests to undertake essential work on the highway, and as such works may need to be carried out in close proximity to each other. We understand that any work carried out on our roads has the potential to cause disruption, so we take steps to ensure that all activities are delivered safely, efficiently and with the minimum possible impact. To reduce congestion on roads which carry significant volumes of traffic, some works are carried out overnight. When this happens, we take measures to reduce noise and disturbance to residents wherever possible."
LCC provides an online map with live updates on roadworks and diversions. According to data from August 3 to August 10, there are 1,457 planned projects, ranging from high to low impact, including 111 requiring closures.
