The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced £18 million for improvement works to roads in the Mersey area, specifically around Sefton.

Approval for the project was given by transport minister of state Baroness Kramer and, of the £18 million, DfT will provide a maximum of £14.5 million, leaving local authorities and related parties to fund the remaining costs.

This will include starting the Thornton to Switch Island Link scheme on the A5758. Originally announced under the 2011 spending review, it involves a new 2.6 mile single carriageway along the route between the Southport Road, Thornton, and the Switch Island junction.

Commenting on the scheme, Baroness Kramer said: "The £14.5 million we are putting into this project shows that the coalition government is serious about investing in the infrastructure the country needs to drive economic growth both locally and nationally."

DfT claims this will reroute traffic around communities such as Thornton and Netherton, while also improving access across the motorways in the north and west of Southport, in turn helping infrastructure links to the Port of Liverpool and surrounding developments.