Switch Island is a major road junction near Aintree in Merseyside, England, in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton.
The junction is at the western terminus of both the M57 and M58 motorways, which converge on the A59 trunk road, the north-south route from Liverpool.
Switch Island has been described as one of England’s busiest motorway junctions[1] and is prone to traffic collisions due to its extensive utilisation and inadequate layout.
The junction underwent a minor redesign in 2006 when new section of carriageway was built at the M57 terminus, allowing motorists to directly transfer onto either the A5036 or A59 roads.
[13] The primary objective was to ensure the junction could withstand the predicted increase in road traffic for the next decade and help improve the flow of an estimated 43,000 vehicles daily.
[14] The roadworks completed in Spring 2006, resulting in a revised junction layout and removing the roundabout configuration.
The proposal has been met with local opposition, with suggestions that the road through the valley would be destructive towards public health, wildlife and air quality.