Going underground - work to start on giant city car park
14 Mar 2006
WORK is about to start on Liverpool's latest tunnel - an underground road network that will lead motorists to the 2,000-space car park beneath Chavasse Park.
In a complicated engineering project, 8,000 square metres of earth will be excavated to create two vehicle ramps in Strand Street to provide access to the underground car park being built as part of the Grosvenor Project.
When the Grosvenor development opens in 2008, cars will use the ramps, one for traffic coming from Sefton Street, the other from the Pier Head, to enter the basement level of the car park more than 23ft below the road surface.
The ramps will be in the centre of the road, reached by specially marked lanes.
Because of the major work involved it will mean lane diversions along the Strand while the work is carried out to create the underground tunnels.
Grosvenor's construction partner, Laing O'Rourke, begins preparation work to construct the ramps this summer with the main work beginning towards the autumn.
Peter Jones, civil engineer with Laing O'Rourke, said: "One of the main points of arrival to Liverpool One will be the car park that sits underneath what was Chavasse Park.
"Capita Symonds, the project's highways engineers, have designed two ramps, positioned in what is currently the central reservation in Strand Street.
"These ramps will provide an entry point, delivering cars to the lowest basement level of the car park.
"One of the main challenges while constructing the ramps is to keep Strand Street open to traffic.
"Our traffic management solution means that we have been able to sequence our works to keep this road flowing."
The southbound carriageway of Strand Street will be closed, with traffic redirected on to the existing northbound carriageway, keeping two lanes open in both directions.
Traffic Control will watch the area closely and they have the ability to alter the sequences of traffic signals to clear blockages if necessary.
The initial temporary works begin in summer and by this autumn the construction company will begin the permanent ramp and tunnel works, taking around six months to complete.
The car park and their entry ramps will be open to the public in 2008 in line with the rest of Grosvenor's Liverpool One.
Engineers have carried out checks to ensure the new tunnels will not be at risk of flooding because of their closeness to the dock.
Extensive engineering surveys have been undertaken which has allowed the designers to slope the ramps well above the water table level which is about 14 metres beneath the park. The ramps and tunnels will be waterproofed at the joints to protect against water ingress.
By Larry Neild, Daily Post
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