A raft of Liverpool roadwork projects have been nominated for prestigious industry awards – showcasing the range and scale of work undertaken to improve the city’s roads in the last 12 months.
The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) – a body that represents and qualifies professionals who plan, design, build, manage, maintain and operate transport and infrastructure – has shortlisted 13 of Liverpool City Council’s road improvement projects.
The projects include Anfield High Street and the Ranelagh Street Bus Gate – Experimental TRO in the Best Practice category, while Huyton Asphalt is nominated for Harm Avoidance.
For Best Project of the Year (value less than £5m), Liverpool City Council has entries for Catharine Street, Liverpool and Liverpool Live Labs, underscoring its commitment to forward-thinking urban projects.
Two of those nominated projects – the Catharine Street Active Travel Route and the Kiacrete demonstration on Upper Pitt Street – showcase the innovation, sustainability, and community benefits the LCC Highways team have displayed.
Completed in 2025 as part of a £2million scheme, the Catharine Street Active Travel Route has transformed a key city centre corridor into a fully segregated, accessible cycling and walking network. The new route connects Catharine Street to the award-winning Princes Avenue cycle scheme, forming a vital link through Toxteth to both Princes Park and Sefton Park. Key features of the project include:
- New segregated cycle lanes on both sides of the street
- Dropped kerbs and tactile paving
- Full carriageway reconstruction and new pedestrian crossings
- Upgraded drainage systems and improved road markings
- Signal upgrades at major junctions for enhanced safety and accessibility
Early monitoring indicates a significant increase in active travel, supporting Liverpool’s ambitions for healthier, low-carbon journeys and improved air quality.
On Upper Pitt Street, Liverpool City Council, in collaboration with Imperial College London, has installed Kiacrete – the UK’s first permanent demonstration of this next-generation permeable concrete. Kiacrete offers:
- Ten times the permeability of conventional alternatives, allowing natural rainwater drainage to reduce runoff and flood risk
- Twice the compressive strength for enhanced durability
- Exceptional resistance to clogging and freeze-thaw cycles
- A predicted 40% carbon saving over 40 years, along with an engineered pore structure that reduces cement use by 11.6%, lowering embodied carbon
With its long service life and minimal maintenance requirements, Kiacrete represents a sustainable choice for urban streets, supporting Liverpool’s climate resilience and net-zero goals.
