M57 motorway

The M57 motorway, also called the Liverpool Outer Ring Road, circles Liverpool in Merseyside. It runs for 16 kilometres between Tarbock Green and Switch Island, linking towns east of the city. The motorway connects to the M62 and M58, providing routes in and out of Liverpool. It passes Huyton, Prescot, and Knowsley Village on its way. The road crosses the Liverpool and Manchester Railway near Huyton. At Switch Island it meets the M58 and gives access to Aintree Racecourse. The M57 was built in stages during the early 1970s. The first section opened in 1972, the second in 1974. Lancashire County Council approved the plan in 1969 with an estimated cost of £3.9 million. The Minister of Transport provided a grant of £2.9 million to help fund the work. Construction moved quickly because local industry was growing and better roads were needed. A southern extension to the A5300 was added in the 1990s. The motorway has wide carriageways and a broad central reservation. It passes under two branches of the Merseyrail Northern Line near Kirkby. At Tarbock Island the M57 meets the M62 with free-flow links in both directions. Switch Island junction was designed to allow future extensions. The road remains an important route for traffic heading to and from Liverpool.