ST HELENS councillors have approved plans to build a railway bridge at Junction Lane, Earlestown, to provide new access to the Sankey Valley Industrial Estate.

The council also plans significant environmental improvements to St Helens town centre by renewing one railway bridge in Standish Street and removing another.

Most of the costs, totalling £3.28 million, will be met from the council's successful bids for cash from the Government's Capital Challenge fund, the Newton 21 Single Regeneration Budget and private partners.

In Earlestown the new 30-metre span will be built about 100 metres west of the existing Victorian bridge which is the only access to the industrial estate and may soon be subjected to a weight limit.

Members of the Highways and Transportation sub-committee heard that 24 firms would then be stranded on the 'wrong side' of the Earlestown-to-Liverpool railway, with catastrophic effects on business.

The £2.2 million project would also include construction of a new roundabout to give a 'gateway' to the estate via the new bridge. The roundabout would also improve access to Deacon Trading Estate on the 'right side' of the railway.

Work is expected to start on site in October, 1998 and includes provision for upgrading the old bridge once the new one is complete.

In St Helens, the council plans to demolish Standish Street East bridge, where a weight limit permits only single-file traffic controlled by signals. The bridge, over the route of a disused rail line, will be replaced by an embankment.

Discussions are being held with Railtrack over replacing the existing bridge at Standish Street West. Although it has four spans, only one crosses an operational line. Besides environmental benefits, it will also improve access to St Helens College Campus and help to regenerate derelict land in Pocket Nook.

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