Chiefs hail bridge as a catalyst for ‘positive change’
MERSEY Gateway bosses have banged the drum for the impact of the £1.86bn bridge project a year on from when it opened – arguing that business in Halton is ‘thriving’ like never before.
The major infrastructure has been battered by complaints relating to the controversial tolls and fines system as well as a landmark legal ruling that said the charges were not even legal, leading to a rewrite of the traffic order granting authority to charge motorists.
From a complaint over a snoring call centre phone operator to being slated by ex-Liverpool FC footballer Jason McAteer on TV, barely a week has passed without someone slating the way payments are handled.
Protests have taken place and the project was upbraided in Westminster by Maria Eagle, Labour MP for Garston And Halewood, who said some her constituents’ lives were becoming ‘unsustainable’ as she branded the administration of the road charges ‘secretive and unresponsive’ and of lacking ‘sufficient public accountability’ among Merseyflow, the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, Halton Borough Council, and the Government.
In November, just a month after the bridge opened, the Advertising Standards Authority revealed it had upheld a complaint over Merseyflow tweets that drivers said were misleading and ‘threatening’ and had implied that unregistered drivers would be fined for crossing, when in reality unregistered drivers can pay without registering.
A spectacular fireworks display launched the opening of the bridge in October last year, followed by an official opening attended by The Queen and Duchess Of Sussex Meghan Markle and culminating in the unveiling of a plaque in West Bank, Widnes.
Bridge chiefs have now moved to talk up what they say are the project’s ● ● achievements.
A Halton Borough Council spokeswoman said the three-and-a-half year construction project was completed ‘on time’ and to budget and is now allowing quicker and more reliable travel across the River Mersey and around the North West.
She said journey times have been reduced by up to 20 minutes, adding that during May, June, July and August, more than 2m crossings were made each month.
In July, this figure peaked at 2,070,000, which she said exceeded original demand forecasts.
To date over 291,000 people have registered for discounted crossings with toll provider Merseyflow with approximately 63,000 payment transactions being completed per week.
Eligibility for discounts has also expanded since the bridge opening to include some students and disabled drivers.
Over the course of construction nearly 1,300 workers were employed on the project at its peak with over 5m hours worked.
Opportunities were created for 32 apprenticeships and a total of 73 weeks’ worth of work experience was offered.
In addition, 17 preemployment programmes were carried out with Halton Enterprise Partnership (HEP), supporting more than 100 residents to learn skills.
The spokeswoman said that 650 Halton workers secured jobs across the project.
During its first year, 251 employees remain on the scheme and she said job creation continues, adding that Merseyflow has recruited 177 staff with 90% of its employees living in Halton. Bridge backers have said inward investment is also on the rise as a result of the bridge and that the number of businesses in Halton has passed 4,000 for the first time.
What the official statement did not include was the number of drivers fined nor amount.
The latest official dashboard figures were expected to be published this week but the last set showed that the number of drivers receiving fines, reached as high as 92,000 in June.
The highest number was in November, the first month after opening, on a whopping 111,000 fines.
Standard fines are £40, falling to £20 for early payment or rising to £60 for late, all plus the original unpaid toll fee.
Civil proceedings can pursue the outstanding fixed penalty notice amount if it remains unpaid beyond 42 days of it being issued.
Following a barrage of criticism over the tolls, officials involved in the project have been eager to come to its defence and hail its benefits.
Mike Bennett, Mersey Gateway Crossings Board managing director, said: “It’s been a fantastic first year for the Mersey Gateway bridge and the transportation benefits it’s the total bringing have even exceeded our high expectations.
“Not only has the project displayed world class feats of engineering and dedicated team work – which has this year been recognised across multiple award wins – it’s much more than that.
“The Mersey Gateway is a catalyst for positive change and we are already seeing this right across Halton though job creation, community outreach and inward investment.”
David Parr, Halton Council chief executive, said: “Business in Halton is thriving.
“Transport and storage businesses have increased three-fold since 2010; professional, scientific and technical have increased more than 50%; education businesses have increased by 70% and health by nearly 40%. For the first time, registered businesses in Halton number more than 4,000.
“Since the opening of the Mersey Gateway we have seen the relocation of LPW to state of the art premises, the building of a 100,000 sq ft expansion of a local business in Manor Park and site preparation at Gorsey Point, Widnes, providing 40 acres of premium development land in anticipation of major investments.”
Rob Polhill, Halton Borough Council leader, said: “Halton is a great place and we stood behind its potential right from the beginning to become a thriving hub of economic growth in the North West.
“Getting the Mersey Gateway Project off the ground was a journey of true challenge and triumph spanning multiple decades – but we never gave up.
“Throughout construction, the bridge brought prosperity to many through job creation and community outreach and one year on, the new crossing is surpassing our expectations.
“This is just the beginning. With transport connections which are second to none providing quicker, easier and more reliable journeys, Halton can continue to flourish and I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Fines statistics: Page 4