THE world’s best companies are hoping to build Merseyside’s largest infrastructure project in decades.

Thirty civil engineering firms have already expressed interest in building the new bridge across the River Mersey.

These include Laing O’Rourke, which will deliver the London Olympics and Spain-based Ferrovial, which bought London’s Heathrow Airport.

The £431m Mersey Gateway project hopes to build a new tolled bridge between Widnes and Runcorn.

Described as a “hybrid” Public Finance Initiative (PFI), the Government is funding £86m with the remainder being raised through a combination of private finance and a public sector (PFI) credits.

Budget forecasts put the 77% stake of a private sector bidder at around £514m as the cost of the total project rises from £431m to £600m by 2015.

Toll revenue over 30-years will cover the construction costs, and are predicted to return surplus revenue of between £759,733 after the first year, rising to £35,540,148 in the 25th year. Steve Nicholson, project director for Mersey Gateway, said: “We will be looking at the bids on the basis of getting the people of Halton the best deal.”