PLANNERS behind the £390m Mersey Gateway bridge will ask the Government for compulsory purchase powers within a fortnight, it was confirmed yesterday.

The announcement marks a significant step forward for the scheme that would see a new six-lane highway stretch across the Mersey within six years.

Halton Borough Council are negotiating with around 70 businesses to buy their property and make way for the bridge. Around 20 square miles needs clearing ahead of construction.

Three towers rising between 120m and 140m will be sunk into the river bed to support the structure. Underneath the 60mph road there will also be space for a light rail track.

Around 50 stakeholders from neighbouring authorities and the private sector attended an update presentation with the Gateway team yesterday.

They were told if the plans fall through, gridlock would seize up the region’s roads.

Cllr Tony McDermott, leader of Halton, said: “Today, the Silver Jubilee Bridge takes almost twice as much peak hour traffic as any of the Mersey Tunnels or the Warrington crossings.

“The disruption and uncertainty that we see when there is a problem with it severely hampers the region’s economy and frustrates businesses, commuters and visitors.

“What we’re providing is an environmentally-friendly solution that will not only transform Halton, but bring relief to people across the region.”

It was confirmed the toll rate for the new bridge would be set at the same level as the Mersey Tunnels – which currently charge £1.40 for regular cars.

This is so drivers are not drawn to one or the other crossing to save money.

Subject to the project meeting certain conditions, the Government is funding £86m of the cost, with the remainder being raised through a combination of private finance and £123m of Private Finance Initiative credits.

Toll revenue, the stakeholders were told, is expected to run to £40m per year.

Steve Nicholson, the project’s director, said no discounts or subsidies had been offered although Cllr McDermott has made a “political commitment“ to residents there would be a “system to alleviate the stress on the borough”.

The existing Runcorn Bridge will revert back to being a crossing primarily for locals. Planners hope to encourage Widnes and Runcorn residents to walk or cycle between the two towns along a dedicated “green corridor”. Public transport will have priority access but drivers will have to pay a toll to cross the road.

The old bridge will be de-linked from the road network and through-traffic will be directed towards the Gateway Bridge.

The A533 Central Expressway and Weston Link will be modified to direct flow from the M56 to the new bridge.

It is hoped the project will act as a regeneration catalyst for five areas across the borough. They are: Widnes’s West Bank, Runcorn Old Town, Astmoor Industrial Estate, Halton Lea and Rocksavage and Clifton.

Current options for the sites include new houses, offices, shops and leisure facilities.

The Mersey Gateway team also unveiled the timetable that should see the Gateway open to traffic by 2014.

Planning applications are already being consulted on after they were submitted to the council in April. Halton will give their formal response to those in the summer.

It is hoped the applications will then go before an eight-week public inquiry before the end of the year, though this could increase depending on the successful outcome of negotiations with land owners.

OPINION: PAGE 6

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