A COMPANY founded in Liverpool more than a century ago has been chosen to carry out the £85m upgrade of one of the region’s key transport links.

The Bidston Moss Viaduct has long been earmarked for major refurbishment and strengthening, which is now due to start in summer next year.

The contractor will be Costain Ltd, founded in Liverpool in 1865 by Richard Costain – a 26-year-old jobbing builder from the Isle of Man.

The company has since expanded to operate across the globe, and in 1935 Costain built 11 miles of the Trans-Iranian Railway – seven tunnels and two viaducts in isolated mountainous terrain.

It also played an active role in the war effort of the 1940s, with wartime work including 26 aerodromes, munitions factories and 15,000 post-war prefabricated Airey houses.

Its latest project, the 37-year-old Wirral viaduct, is a vital link between the M53 and the Wallasey tunnel, also leading to the Birkenhead Docks and the Twelve Quays ferry terminal which carries more than 55,000 vehicles a day, including around 5,000 lorries.

Alec Briggs, Highways Agency project manager, said: “Appointing our contractor is a key stage in the development of the scheme.

“We are keen to progress the design and strengthening of the viaduct as quickly as possible, so that we can upgrade the viaduct for vehicles up to the biggest HGVs – 40 tonnes.”

Design work will start this month and last for about 15 months, with construction starting next year and taking around 20 months to complete.

The scheme will involve major strengthening work to the existing viaduct at Junction 1 of the M53, and will allow the removal of current vehicle weight restrictions, which limit HGVs to using the inside lane only, and impose a 3.5-tonne limit on the outside lane.

Cllr Mark Dowd, chairman of Merseytravel, said: “This is an important appointment for an important project. It's a complex challenge but the partnership behind it will be working hard to ensure we maintain the momentum.”

Wirral Council and Merseytravel together will contribute up to £4.5m of funding with the Government providing the rest.

Wirral’s Cabinet member for streetscene and transport Services, Cllr Jean Quinn said: “We are pleased that a contractor has been appointed for this major project.

“The viaduct is a major commuter route for Wirral residents travelling to and from Liverpool, and provides a vital strategic link from the national motorway network.”

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