TOLLING a new bridge across the River Mersey will help control air quality across Merseyside, an inquiry heard yesterday.
Without the Mersey Gateway Project, levels of Carbon dioxide (CO²) and Nitrogen oxide (NO) will increase between 2015-2030, according to an expert.
Addressing the public inquiry in Widnes, air quality expert Yvonne Brown said: “The no toll option is the only one calculated to lead to increased CO² emissions.
“A similar pattern is shown for the regional emissions of NO and PM10 (particle pollutants).”
Having looked at three possible scenarios for the bridge – no tolls, most likely tolls and high tolls – she told the inquiry: “The project is unlikely to lead to any significant improvements in air quality concentrations, but does lead to significant improvements in air quality close to the Silver Jubilee Bridge (SJB) in Widnes and Runcorn.”
