B5178

The B5178 is a surprisingly long B-road in southwest Lancashire, connecting Widnes and Liverpool.

Route

Chidwall Fiveways

It starts on the A562 at Crow Green, on the eastern side of Widnes, and heads west into town, going over the A557 en route. The road is forced left as the road ahead is one-way towards us, before turning right at a roundabout before crossing the B5419 (former A568) at traffic lights. This is actually the original eastern end of the B5178 (although that was one block further north).

The road now heads west through the suburbs of Widnes. It zigzags to cross the Widnes to Liverpool railway line near Hough Green station before entering open country. It crosses a bridge over the A5300 before a couple of miles of fields lead to Netherley, the first suburb of Liverpool.

The next few miles have been rerouted since 1922. Originally the road went through Netherley and then along what is now the B5171 to Gateacre before following the now-unclassified Woolton Road into Wavertree where it rejoins its current route. The road was rerouted to the north in 1935 and the Netherley bypass came later; the original line of the B5178 there is now hardly recognisable.

After the B5171 turns off to the left at traffic lights the B5178 continues northwestwards along Childwall Valley Road. It goes under a disused railway bridge, now carrying the Transpennine Trail, before crossing the A5058 at a roundabout. There is then a short section of dual carriageway into Wavertree, ending at a roundabout which is, coincidentally, the point where the original line of the B5178 meets the current route.

The road continues west along Wavertree High Street. It crosses the B5179 at traffic lights before going over a branch, then the mainline, of the Merseyrail City Line. After crossing the B5173 (former A5089) at traffic lights the road continues west along Wavertree Road. At one time it ended on a gyratory by St Mary's Church, where it met the A5047. However, the roads making up the gyratory are now all two-way, with the eastern side blocked off and so the road now extends round the remainder of the former gyratory to end on the A5047 at traffic lights. Traffic is required to turn left here.

History

Childwall Valley Road, a bypass for Childwall and Gateacre, from Queens Drive to Belle Vale Road was mentioned as new in a 7 March 1933 Liverpool Post report. It may have opened earlier.