Liverpool City Council is about to appoint a contractor to deliver a Mersey waterfront link road for the new Isle of Man Ferry Terminal.

Following a Europe wide procurement process a report to the council’s cabinet next Friday (28 September) is recommending the contract for the £7.6m scheme be awarded to provide access from Waterloo Road to the £30m facility in Princes Half Tide Dock.

The new road and ferry terminal will lie within Peel Land and Property Limited’s Liverpool Waters scheme – a £5bn development site encompassing 150 acres of historic docklands in north Liverpool, stretching from Princes Dock to Bramley Moore Dock.

The cabinet report follows the Isle of Man Government’s announcement that it has now completed negotiations with Peel Land and Property Limited for the long-term leasehold ownership of the site, with the new terminal scheduled to open in 2021.

On cabinet approval the highways contractor will be formally appointed and then head of terms will be signed with Peel Land and Property Limited to lease the land to the council for the construction of the road.

The contract has been funded by the the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority through its Single Investment Fund.

As part of the tender, the winning company will provide apprenticeships to the local labour market and source Liverpool firms in their supply chain as part of the Mayoral pledge to support the city’s economy through council contracts.

This new link road is part of the second phase of the wider £45m Liverpool city centre connectivity scheme, which includes the construction of a second waterfront link road. Situated closer to the northern fringe of the city centre, this road has been designed to ease congestion and provide general public transport improvements and to support the relocation of city council’s forthcoming new cruise terminal at the nearby Princes Dock.

The second new link road will provide a connection between the existing Bath Street/Princes Parade/Waterloo Road junction and the new signalised junction at Leeds Street/Great Howard Street (A565).

The new junction on Great Howard Street is part of a major £32m revamp to make it a full dual carriageway – including a new bridge which opened last September. The latest phase began on Monday with a four-week programme of utility works.

This overall investment package of highways improvements in the North Liverpool area is worth more than £100m and is seen as crucial to the development of surrounding major regeneration schemes such as the Ten Streets creativity district and Everton FC’s proposed new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock in Liverpool Waters.

The North Liverpool corridor is a key element of Liverpool City Council’s £500m Better Roads programme to invest in the city’s highways network.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said:

“The new Isle of Man ferry link road is a vital scheme and I’m delighted we are now at the stage to make the project live.

“The road’s core function of is obviously to support the new ferry terminal but it will also bolster the wider development of the Liverpool Waters scheme and we are grateful to Peel and the city region combined authority for their support in this scheme.

“Along with the second link road, which will cater for our new cruise facility, the city centre connectivity scheme is beginning to take shape and with each element another big step is taken towards future proofing our economy.

“Creating this infrastructure is a huge priority for the city council because of its potential to fuel a renaissance in North Liverpool – not least the Ten Streets creativity district and the expansion of the Commercial Business District – which will underpin billions of investment that will benefit this city for generations to come.”

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said:

“This scheme will not only serve the new ferry terminal and maintain our historic links with the Isle of Man, it will also support the ongoing regeneration north of the city centre.

“We are committed to using our Single Investment Fund to boost the city region’s economy, to benefit all of our residents, which is why we have invested £19m of the city centre connectivity scheme, of which the new link road is a vital component.”

Darran Lawless, Development Director at Peel Land and Property responsible for Liverpool Waters said:

“The creation of these roads will make access to Liverpool Waters much easier for those living, working and visiting the waterfront, as well as the various construction and commercial vehicles that will be entering Liverpool Waters as the project continues to progress.

“It’s an exciting time at Liverpool Waters, with multiple developments already taking shape, including the residential schemes Plaza 1821 and The Lexington located at Princes Dock, where the council’s new cruise liner terminal will be situated. In addition to this Quay Central and Park Central, the first developments at Central Docks, are also well underway. It’s important that we ensure that each development is as accessible as possible, and we would like to thank all of our partners who have assisted us with this vital piece of work for their valuable input.”