 THE ECHO can today reveal the latest stage in Liverpool city centre's traffic nightmare. From Monday, vehicles are banned from driving into St John's Lane, between St John's Gardens and the Marriott hotel, from Old Haymarket. Highways bosses had feared the latest stage of a £73m plan to transform Liverpool's roads would lead to huge tailbacks in the Birkenhead tunnel. But they are to close off the key city centre junction at St John's Lane to try to prevent congestion misery. Motorists leaving the Birkenhead tunnel to get to Lime Street will now face a mile-long detour around a city centre loop. Multi-million pound work to improve city centre roads have already caused six months of difficulties for drivers and businesses. The main source of problems is the £4m project to transform Berry Street and Renshaw Street and improve its accident record. Since January, the inbound lane of the two streets has been closed to traffic. Later this month, workmen will start the scheme's second phase, opening the inbound lane and closing the outbound lane. Transport chiefs fear this could lead to a massive tailback from the Adelphi junction along Lime Street, St John's Lane and back into the Birkenhead tunnel. They are concerned that police, fire and ambulance services would then be unable to reach Lime Street in the event of a major accident. From Monday, only emergency vehicles, buses, taxis and cyclists will be able to enter St John's Lane from Old Haymarket, although general traffic will still be able to drive in the other direction. Cars will be able to exit the Queen Square car park into St John's Lane, but they will only be able to turn right. | 
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