Junction improvement works underway in next phase of By Ours Cowley Hill community project
Junction improvement works in the Cowley Hill area are underway as part of a pioneering community-led project focusing on connectivity and road safety.
Article date: 18 February 2026
Work has commenced at the junction of Bishop Road, Gamble Avenue and Cowley Hill Lane, increasing safety and accessibility as part of the By Ours Cowley Hill Liveable Neighbourhood Project.
The junction will be significantly reduced in size to enable safer, more accessible crossings on a key route to local schools and parks.
The works also involve the installation of a raised junction speed table, including uncontrolled pedestrian crossing improvements, drainage works, kerbing renewal, carriageway surfacing and a new footpath link connecting Victoria Park with the junction.
Main construction works are expected to be completed in 7-8 weeks.
Councillor Kate Groucutt, Cabinet Member for Business and Inclusive Growth, said:
"This project is a shining example of local voices shaping real change. Residents told us they wanted safer crossings, calmer streets, and better links to parks and schools - and we're delivering exactly that. Through this collaborative approach, residents are helping us to create a healthier, more connected neighbourhood for everyone."
A total of £280,000 of capital funding has been secured for these Phase 2 works from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) and Active Travel England.
The highway improvements here build on earlier work shaped by extensive community engagement in 2023. St Helens Borough Council, in partnership with Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formerly Sustrans) and the LCRCA, invited residents to "reimagine" their streets.
Local residents were invited to engage in consultation on the proposals for this junction, with feedback shaping the final plans, including a reduction in the extent of proposed double yellow line restrictions on Gamble Avenue.
The By Ours Cowley Hill area has already benefitted - in direct response to residents' feedback - from a new green pocket park, a tree-lined footpath and cycleway through Bishop Road Playing Fields, numerous traffic-calming measures, accessibility upgrades, and new safety features for people walking and wheeling, including a signalised puffin crossing on Duke Street.
There are future proposals for additional improvements on North Road, including a prospective new controlled crossing between Rutland Street and Oldfield Street to improve safety along this busy corridor.
For more information about the By Ours Cowley Hill Neighbourhood project and other active travel schemes, visit https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/activetravel.