Our highway network
The highway network is the council's most valuable asset, currently valued at around £2.2 billion.
Wirral Council is responsible for maintaining all assets within the adopted highway, this includes, roads, footways, cycleways, street lighting, traffic signals, drainage, bridges, bollards, guardrail litter bins and seats.
The table below shows the lengths of the adopted highway on Wirral.
The adopted highway is one where the council has taken legal responsibility for its maintenance.
Lengths of highways, footways and cycleways
| Type of highway | Length in kilometres (km) |
|---|---|
| A road | 131.1km |
| B and C roads | 118.1km |
| U roads | 932.7km |
| Total roads | 1,181.9km |
| Footways | 1,915.5km |
| Footpaths | 108.4km |
| Other public rights of way | 152.3km |
|---|---|
| PRoW Footpath | 101.8km |
| PRoW Bridleway | 20.8km |
| PRoW Byway | 4.3km |
| Permissive Footpath | 10.1km |
| Permissive Bridleway | 11.0km |
| Shared Use Pathway | 4.3km |
| Cycleways | 180.7km |
|---|---|
| On Road Segregated Cycle Lanes | 12.1km |
| Other On Road Cycle Lanes | 60.3km |
| Off Road Cycleways | 108.3km |
Other Highway Assets
| Type of Asset | Quantity | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Street Lights | 38001 | Number |
| Gullies | 59766 | Number |
| Linear Drainage | 2047 | Metres |
| Bridges | 83 | Number |
| Culverts | 103 | Number |
| Retaining Walls | 1382 | Metres |
| Illuminated Signs | 5575 | Number |
| Non-illuminated Signs | 14564 | Number |
| Bollards | 1591 | Number |
| Traffic Signal Pole | 2179 | Number |
| Traffic Signal Heads & Pedestrian Light Units | 3637 | Number |
| Push Button Units with Wait Indicators | 1548 | Number |
| Variable Messaging Signs | 36 | Number |
| Vehicle Activated Signs | 104 | Number |
| Grit Bins | 106 | Number |
| Belisha Beacons | 92 | Number |
In addition to the information given above, we are also responsible for the management of a range of other highway assets. These include:
- road markings
- road studs (cat's eyes)
- vehicle safety barriers
- pedestrian guard railings
- highway drains
- manholes and outfalls
- street furniture (such as benches, litter bins and street nameplates)
- electric vehicle charging points
The council is currently developing an asset data collection strategy that will assist with the gathering and recording of new data about Wirral’s highway network. We recognise that having good quality asset information will not only allow us to be better at our jobs. It will also help us to take advantage of new and innovative tools, that can help us to reduce costs and improve sustainability.