The Mersey Gateway Bridge project: still charging ahead?

The plan to build a second river crossing over the Mersey in the borough of Halton received something of a setback in mid-June when it became one of 69 transport projects put on hold as the new Government conducts a comprehensive review of its spending plans. The proponents of the scheme remain bullish that it will go ahead, however, even if Whitehall pulls the plug on some of its funding.

Rik Thomas

09 July 2010

The new 1.5km bridge over the Mersey could be in operation by 2014

Once the new crossing is operational the Silver Jubilee Bridge will become a local bridge once again

The proposed new bridge will be approximately 1.5km upstream from the existing Mersey crossing in Halton

Mersey Gateway project director, Steve Nicholson

Halton Borough Council chief executive, David Parr

The proposed new bridge will be approximately 1.5km upstream from the existing Mersey crossing in Halton

The Borough of Halton, in the North West of England, is somewhat unusual amongst local authorities in that it is effectively split in two by a major geographical feature (in this case the River Mersey), with the two halves currently linked by just a single road bridge. Given that, if and when there is any kind of problem with this bridge, the two halves of the borough are effectively cut off from each other, the idea of adding a second bridge to boost capacity and provide greater resilience to...