TRAFFIC problems are set to worsen after one of the key routes into Liverpool was partially closed last night when the road started to collapse.

It will mean the inward-bound stretch of West Derby Road, in Tuebrook, being closed for at least a week.

The closure could not have come at a worse time for commuters and Christmas shoppers, as well as fans heading to Anfield for today’s match.

But Tuebrook councillor Steve Radford said the closure was unavoidable.

He highlighted a similar incident a decade ago when a section of road just yards away collapsed, leaving an even bigger hole in the road.

A team from Enterprise Liverpool last night closed the inward bound stretch between Green Lane and Tuebrook Police Station.

 Traffic was diverted to the outward bound leg of dual carriageway.

Delays are feared because all traffic, both inwards and outwards, will have to use a single lane each.

 West Derby Road had become an alternative route into the city centre by motorists wanting to avoid roadworks along Edge Lane.

 It is believed that a stretch of carriageway started to sink as a result of cellars from properties that used to line the route before it was made into a dual carriageway.

 There is also a possibility of a number of caverns in the area.

 A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said: “There has been no alternative to a partial road closure to enable emergency road works to be carried out. A depression appeared in the surface of the roadway. We expect the work to take about a week.”

West Derby Road is also one of the city’s main bus routes.

Cllr Radford, a Liberal member of the city council, said: “A side road just a few feet away from the edge of West Derby Road collapsed around 10 to 15 years ago.

“It left a gaping hole in the road that came up to my shoulder. If that had happened in West Derby Road, there could easily have been a fatality.

“We spotted the problem a few days ago and alerted the council to express our concerns. This could not have come at a worst time, but the council has no alternative. I applaud the prompt actions of starting to carry out remedial works.”

Drivers heading towards the area are asked to allow extra time or find alternative routes to reach their destinations.

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