MERSEY GATEWAY BRIDGE OPENING
ASPECTACULAR fireworks display heralded the opening of the Mersey Gateway Bridge. The new crossing between Runcorn and Widnes began taking traffic just after midnight on Saturday, October 14.
Just before it opened the Silver Jubilee Bridge – which has been open since July 1961 – was closed to traffic as a 12 month refurbishment got underway.
Public viewing areas on Mersey Road in front of Churchill Hall in Runcorn and at Spike Island in front of the Catalyst Museum in Widnes offered prime locations to watch the extravaganza on Friday evening.
Limited edition Mersey Gateway merchandise was sold at both locations with all profits going to the Halton mayor’s charities which include Halton Speaks Out and Halton Entertainment Arts Regional Theatre School.
Cllr Rob Polhill, leader of Halton Borough Council and chair of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, said: “After three-and-a-half years of hard work I am proud to announce the Mersey Gateway Bridge is open.
“It’s been a busy project which has reshaped our borough, and led to a huge amount of work across it.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has had to navigate through roadworks and traffic lights as our hard-working team built the new bridge and its associated roads.
“Now the project has been completed on time and under budget, it stands as an iconic, landmark structure that will help to put Halton on the map, while eliminating congestion across the borough.
“It will help make Halton a destination where businesses want to invest and families want to live.
“I would like to give a big thank you to everyone involved in turning our dreams into reality.”
He added: “This project has already brought millions of pounds to our regional economy, created hundreds of job opportunities, engaged with thousands of local schoolchildren and transformed our road network, but that is just the start.”
“This gives us an incredible infrastructure and base from which we can develop a hugely exciting and vibrant future for Halton.
“The Mersey Gateway Plus Regeneration Strategy outlines how we will continue to ensure Halton and the north west continue to create jobs and grow our economy.”
The bridge cost £600m to construct and is expected to total £1.86bn up to 2044 and includes design, build, finance, operation and maintenance.
Tolls are being enforced immediately with dedicated cameras and sensors reading vehicle number plates and special stickers to charge drivers.
A protest against the tolls was held outside Runcorn Town Hall on Sunday, October 15, fewer than 48 hours after the Mersey Gateway opened.
Protesters held flags, banners and placards opposing the charges.
A petition on change.org calling on Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to scrap the tolls had also reached more than 21,000 signatures, at time of writing.
The unregistered toll rates are £2 per trip for cars, £6 per trip for light goods vehicles and £8 per trip for heavy goods vehicles.
Motorbikes and local buses are not subject to tolls.
Those who do not register to cross the bridge will need to pay the full toll rate by 11.59pm the day after travelling or face a penalty charge notice of up to £60.
Runcorn and Widnes residents who are eligible for the local user discount scheme – which includes those in council tax bands A to F – can pay a £10 annual fee and register to guarantee unlimited personal crossings at no extra cost for a 12-month period.
When the Silver Jubilee Bridge reopens, it too will be tolled.
Those who have successfully registered with the Merseyflow tolling system but have not received their sticker before the bridge opened will be able to use it for up to seven days before the sticker arrives.
The opening of the 1,000m-long bridge is the result of more than three-and-a-half years of construction work across Halton, with the bridge acting as the centrepiece for the huge road project.
The project opened on time and under budget after Halton Borough Council and the successful bidder, Merseylink, worked together to save around £250m on the project costs during the procurement process.
The project features more than nine kilometres of new roads, seven junctions and 12 new bridges and an integrated traffic control information system, that uses innovative smart road technology.
The new and improved link roads connecting the new bridge to the M56 and the main route towards Liverpool and the M62 also opened in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Merseylink general manager Hugh O’Connor said: “While the bridge itself is a massive achievement, this project is also about the significant amount of road upgrades and junction improvements that are integral to the connectivity of the scheme too.
“The complexity and scale of the engineering challenge has reflected that, and has helped to create a very different landscape across Halton. ●
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the staff, workers and volunteers who worked so hard to make this happen. It is the culmination of their sheer determination that has meant we have been able to open on time and under budget.
“As we head towards the first Monday morning rush hour I would urge drivers to please pay close attention to the new road signs and layout, follow the speed limits and drive safely.”
The project was delivered by an international team of construction and engineering specialists from around the world.
To register for discounts visit www. merseyflow.co.uk