Work has started on the main bridge deck of the new Mersey Gateway crossing.
With the project entering its third year latest figures show a £129 million regional investment boost to the economy.
The six-lane toll bridge will link the towns of Runcorn and Widnes with teams set to start connecting the steel support cables to the deck and upper pylons this summer.
‘Trinity’, the project’s movable scaffolding system (MSS), has cast the first 250m of the north approach viaduct, and a new MSS is on its way to Halton to build the south approach viaduct.
The local road network is undergoing significant transformation with major junction upgrades taking place right across the borough, including the redesigned M56 junction 12 roundabout, which is due for completion in June.
The £129m figure accounts for contracts placed by the Merseylink Construction Joint Venture (CJV) with 351 different suppliers and sub-contractors based within a 30-mile radius of the site in Halton since work began in May 2014.
Hugh O’Connor, general manager of Merseylink, said: “Two years ago we set out to build an iconic structure, an amazing new bridge which will help to transform and improve the road network across Halton. We’re well on the way to doing that and opening on time in autumn 2017.
“As a global consortium we have brought expertise from across the world to deliver this project and it has always been important to us to maximise the regional benefits, which is why I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to place work valued at £129million within the north west economy.”
Cllr Rob Polhill, Leader of Halton Borough Council, said: “The journey from the project’s initial planning stages to now, as we head into the third year of construction, is truly remarkable. Not only is the physical landscape of our borough changing rapidly, the wider impact, including investment into the local and regional economy, is a testament to the strategic importance of the scheme. I am delighted that the project is enabling such significant growth and prosperity.”
