Residents living on a housing estate in Bootle say National Highways is putting money before people’s lives, accusing it of ignoring support for a replacement footbridge over Dunnings Bridge Road.

The A5036 in Bootle had a footbridge which families could use to safely cross the four-lane carriageway, but that was demolished after an accident in 2022. In August of this year, the LDRS reported on National Highways’ (NH) decision to shelve plans for a new footbridge.

At the time, Sefton Council told the LDRS that highways has “gone back on its commitment” to replace the footbridge over the A5036 and accused it of disregarding the wishes of the local community. To find out more about the impact of that decision, the LDRS visited the Park Lane estate and asked people what they thought.

Tarffic congestion at the crossing of Dunnings Bridge Road in Bootle | LDRS

placeholder image — Tarffic congestion at the crossing of Dunnings Bridge Road in Bootle | LDRS

Jamie Size is a father-of-two and lives on the Park Lane estate and regularly used the old footbridge. However, Jamie said even before the HGV collision, the footbridge was in poor condition: “The crash was the final nail in the coffin because it was really run down and needed to be replaced, even back then.

“Where the lights are now, there’s times when the traffic is so backed up that you’ve got trucks blocking people from going straight over the crossing.

“I’ve had no letters about this new pedestrian crossing, but I would definitely prefer that the footbridge is put back as its safer for everyone.”

The A5036 divides two residential areas on its route to and from the port of Liverpool and sees a huge amount of traffic, especially at peak times. Also known as Dunnings Bridge Road, it splits the Park Lane housing estate and Our Lady Of Walsingham primary school which serves the communities on either side.

It means, parents are taking their children to and from school and having to use the one pedestrian crossing on that part of the A5036. It also means people have to walk a significant distance to use the one available crossing area.

Paul Hudson has lived on the Park Lane estate for more than 40 years, and refuses to accept the idea that the footbridge is not necessary. For Paul, a new footbridge is needed more than it ever was: “Not replacing the footbridge is a ridiculous decision. It’s a dangerous decision.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen and it’s going to take a kid getting killed before they do anything about it. It’s so dangerous and we keep saying how dangerous it is, all you have to do is go and look at it.

“There’s four lanes on the main road and then a major junction which is busy all the time and trucks running by all day. When you’re trying to get across you’ve got to have your head on swivel-mode because the cars can come from any angle and all directions.”

When asked about NH’s explanation for not replacing the footbridge and the lack of funds to finance such a project, Paul said: “What’s money when you’re talking about people’s safety? What’s money when you’re protecting kids’ lives?

“The air is bad around here because of road and the traffic, there’s too much noise because of it, the least they could do is make sure we can get across it in one piece.

“The person who has made that decision has either never visited the road or not studied it properly. To them, the people on this estate are just out of sight, out of mind.”

Mark Hunt lives on the Park Lane estate in Bootle | LDRS

Mark Hunt is originally from Southport but has lived on the Park Lane estate for the last four years, and long enough to remember using the footbridge. Mark said: “If you go further down Church Road, you’ve got an underpass, which I think is a better idea than an overpass.

“But I would prefer an overpass to traffic lights. The latest plan is better than where they have the crossing now because there should always have been a pedestrian crossing at that junction anyway.”

Referring to NH and the decision to shelve the footbridge replacement, Mark said: “It is a public service, which we pay for via our taxes, but I think they forget that sometimes and then we find ourselves in situations like these.”

Responding to the concerns raised by the residents of the Park Lane estate, a National Highways spokesperson told the LDRS: “We’re upgrading the Park Lane junction with A5036 Dunnings Bridge Road to deliver cyclist and pedestrian crossing points on all four of its arms, creating easier and safer journeys for everyone.

“We completed a feasibility study on replacing the footbridge over the A5036, but design requirements mean it would not work and was unaffordable.”

Traffic congestion at the crossing of Dunnings Bridge Road in Bootle | LDRS

NH added: “We have recently hosted some very well attended public information events, talking to the local community and discussing our plans with them and we are aware of the concerns of some of the community. We will continue to engage with residents and businesses as the project continues to keep them updated.”

The LDRS was told by someone who attended those drop-in sessions that a representative for NH indicated the cost of replacing the footbridge was approximately £15m. The visitor also said the same rep confirmed NH was involved in an insurance claim with the company that owned the HGV which collided with the original footbridge.

Both of these points were put to NH.

Despite NH’s recent announcement of a new £7m upgrade to the junction and plans for new pedestrian crossings, the issue of the footbridge is not going away anytime soon.

Bootle MP Peter Dowd raised the issue in the House of Commons on October 16 and called for a debate on NH’s decision not to replace the footbridge. Mr Dowd told the LDRS: “This isn’t just another road.

“The A5036 is a major road which is incredibly busy and the residents deserve a proper solution that they have confidence in, and I’ll be submitting a petition to Parliament advocating for that.”