Flood-hit road in Liverpool where couple died to reopen again

Queens Drive will reopen to traffic more than five weeks after heavy rain and flooding damaged the road. The road has been closed since July 10, when the area under the railway bridge between Dovedale Road and North Mossley Hill Road flooded.

Since then, United Utilities has been working with Liverpool City Council to investigate the causes of the flooding.

Experts have taken core samples from beneath the carriageway and installed monitoring equipment to assess the impact of groundwater - that work will continue until the autumn.

Local Councillor and Lord Mayor Cllr Richard Kemp has welcomed the reopening of the road.

Cllr Kemp said, “United Utilities has completed its current work of undertaking 3 x 10 metre bore holes and installing monitoring equipment to check and assess the ongoing flows of surface water.

At the same time the Council has reviewed and improved its actions if we continue to get deluges which cannot be drained away swiftly.

This would seem to be the case because of the depth of the culvert at this point which would need huge investment on the Briardale Road and Railway bridges at that point.

There have also been extensive repairs made to the carriageway and pavements.

I am particularly pleased that the road will be open before the schools start again in two weeks.

The diversions caused a major problem to residents on Dovedale Road, Penny Lane and Rose Lane in addition to other roads in the area.

However, we know that this has caused widespread problems for traffic throughout South Liverpool”.

A section of Queens Drive was closed for five months last August, following the death of a couple who became trapped inside their car by rising floodwater.

Elaine and Philip Marco died after their car became submerged in flood water.

The Marcos, who were well-respected members of the city's Jewish community, was described as a “quiet and humble couple" who were "very dedicated and devoted grandparents.”

Footage recorded at the time of the tragedy appeared to show water gushing onto the road - which dips steeply under a bridge - amid heavy rain.

The road reopened in February, following repairs and the installation of a flood alert system featuring an early warning system and CCTV.

But heavy rain on 10 July caused the road to flood again and it remained closed until today.