Switch Island
Encyclopedia
Switch Island is a road junction south of Maghull
and near Aintree
in Merseyside
, England
on the Liverpool rural-urban fringe. The junction is at the western terminus of both the M57
and M58 motorway
s, which converge on the A59
trunk road
, the north-south route from Liverpool
. The junction is also the terminus of the A5036
, a road which serves the Port of Liverpool
.
Original plans for the two motorways involved them merging at this junction and continuing west, while the A59 continued uninterrupted under (or over) the roundabout, with slip roads to and from the junction. These plans were never completed and instead all four roads converged at the same level on the single roundabout
. To complicate matters, the through route of the dual carriageway is not the A59 south to the A59 north, but from the A5036 south to the A59 north. Effectively, this results in two motorways and the port road feeding onto the A59 through route.
The junction carries 80,000 vehicles a day, and improvements are a priority for England
's Highways Agency
.
In September 2005, roadworks commenced for the improvement of the junction by the Highways Agency. These roadworks were intended to last 7 months during which long delays were usual. The overall aim was to ensure the junction is able to withstand the predicted road traffic increase for the next decade. The roadworks were completed in Spring 2006, and has resulted in an entirely new layout for the junction, removing the roundabout. Only very few vehicles now have to enter the roundabout section, instead using the roads which pass through the centre of it. Even those who must enter the roundabout cannot make a full revolution due to this new layout, with a short stretch of the roundabout now not in use. This western-most piece of road used to form part of the A59, leading vehicles north from Aintree
towards Maghull
, passing the entry slips for the M57 and M58. This section is no longer open to general traffic but is the site of an inspection area and weighbridge, operated by the Vehicle Inspectorate.
Maghull
Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a...
and near Aintree
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside. It lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, about north of Liverpool city centre, in North West England....
in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on the Liverpool rural-urban fringe. The junction is at the western terminus of both the M57
M57 motorway
The M57 motorway, also known as the Liverpool Outer Ring Road, is a road in England. Designed as a bypass road for Liverpool, it is long and links various towns east of the city, as well as the M62 and M58 motorways.-Route:...
and M58 motorway
M58 motorway
The M58 is a motorway passing through Merseyside and Lancashire, terminating in Greater Manchester, England. It is 12 miles long and provides a link between the M6 motorway and the area north of Liverpool.-Route:...
s, which converge on the A59
A59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
trunk road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
, the north-south route from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. The junction is also the terminus of the A5036
A5036 road
The A5036 is a road in Merseyside, England, which comprises two separate sections separated by a gap of .The northern section is a section of trunk road, travelling from Seaforth through Litherland before terminating at the Switch Island junction in Netherton...
, a road which serves the Port of Liverpool
Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is the name for the enclosed 7.5 mile dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Birkenhead Docks between Birkenhead and Wallasey on the west side of the river...
.
Original plans for the two motorways involved them merging at this junction and continuing west, while the A59 continued uninterrupted under (or over) the roundabout, with slip roads to and from the junction. These plans were never completed and instead all four roads converged at the same level on the single roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
. To complicate matters, the through route of the dual carriageway is not the A59 south to the A59 north, but from the A5036 south to the A59 north. Effectively, this results in two motorways and the port road feeding onto the A59 through route.
The junction carries 80,000 vehicles a day, and improvements are a priority for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's Highways Agency
Highways Agency
The Highways Agency is an executive agency, part of the Department for Transport in England. It has responsibility for managing the core road network in England...
.
In September 2005, roadworks commenced for the improvement of the junction by the Highways Agency. These roadworks were intended to last 7 months during which long delays were usual. The overall aim was to ensure the junction is able to withstand the predicted road traffic increase for the next decade. The roadworks were completed in Spring 2006, and has resulted in an entirely new layout for the junction, removing the roundabout. Only very few vehicles now have to enter the roundabout section, instead using the roads which pass through the centre of it. Even those who must enter the roundabout cannot make a full revolution due to this new layout, with a short stretch of the roundabout now not in use. This western-most piece of road used to form part of the A59, leading vehicles north from Aintree
Aintree
Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside. It lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, about north of Liverpool city centre, in North West England....
towards Maghull
Maghull
Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a...
, passing the entry slips for the M57 and M58. This section is no longer open to general traffic but is the site of an inspection area and weighbridge, operated by the Vehicle Inspectorate.