New pictures show work progressing on major commuter route for Liverpool

Great Howard Street is being widened to become a dual carriageway

These images show how work is progressing on Great Howard Street – and show the bridge as it was decades ago when train ran through it.

Work got underway earlier in the summer on a £10m scheme to replace and widen the damaged bridge in Great Howard Street (A565).

However, full closure of the road was put off until last month to minimise the impact on the key commuter route to and from the north of the city.

Now these new images show how work is progressing on the bridge which is a key part of the works.

The work near Chadwick Street and Costco will cost £9.7m and is part of making Great Howard Street a dual carriageway , including replacing the bridge on the road which crosses a disused rail line.

The £32m project, paid by Department of Transport (DfT) funding, is designed to improve links from the city centre to the Port of Liverpool, which has recently been expanded into a deep water port .

The road remains shut in both directions between Chadwick Street and the MINI garage until the start of 2017.

The project part of around £250m being spent upgrading roads across the city, carrying out improvements and tackling the historic backlog of highways repairs.

Local businesses criticised the work fearing they will be hit badly by the closure – for a “bridge to nowhere” – amid concerns they will lose out on passing trade.

The bridge is being re-built to allow possible future access to the port for freight trains after the DfT insisted it was not filled in – a much cheaper option.