Major road turned into an ‘eyesore’ with ‘6 meter high weeds’

Motorists complained that a major road had turned into a “mess” full of overgrown weeds.

Photographs of the Church Road section of the A5036 in Litherland show head-high weeds and horrendous foliage on all verges lining the road.

Edge maintenance is managed by National Highways (NH) who are responsible for the maintenance, general appearance and safety of the roads. The government-owned company is contracted to look after England’s motorways and main A roads, including gutter cleaning, grass cutting and weed management.

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National Highways believes the surge along Church Road has been exacerbated by weather conditions. He said: “We completed almost a month of cycle maintenance work along the A5036 at the start of June but at certain times of the year the combination of rain and warmer weather can result in very rapid vegetation growth and we are back at the beginning. from July.”

However, some drivers are concerned about the safety implications of the 20-foot-tall weeds affecting visibility across intersections. There were also reports of traffic signs being obscured by tree growth.

Local taxi driver Kenny said: “I am sick to death of the state of this road and it is now completely run down and full of weeds.

“It’s not just an eyesore, but a potential hazard to drivers and pedestrians alike. National Highways have a legal obligation to maintain their roads to a safe and acceptable standard.”

Some of the road maintenance work is managed by Sefton Council, who are solely responsible for road sweeping and litter picking on transport routes throughout the borough. However, with reference to the Church Road area, a 2024 report on Sefton Council’s highway safety stated: “It should be noted that the A5036T main road which runs through part of the borough is owned, managed and maintained by National Highways and as such , is not subsequently inspected or maintained by Sefton Council.

“Notwithstanding this, if Sefton received notice or identified any significant defects on their road, they would be passed on to their National Highways Management agents for inspection and repair as necessary.”

National Highways has already started work on several areas before July and has undertaken grass cutting and weed management on Church Road as part of planned maintenance next month. He said: “While we already work alongside partners such as Sefton Council to manage the route, we are actively looking for even better collaboration and coordination of our various maintenance activities.”

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