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Merseylink, the construction consortium building the bridge, has re-assessed the programme for the remaining works and has said that it could open in a few weeks’ time.
Weather permitting, the Mersey Gateway Bridge will open no later than mid-October, but could even be before September is out, the contractors say.
Merseylink is made up of Kier, FCC and Samsung C&T. They began work in March 2014. The 1,000-metre long cable stay bridge consists of four spans supported from three towers in the Mersey estuary.
General manager Hugh O’Connor said: “All along we said we’d be opening in autumn 2017 and it is great to be able to keep that promise. We’ll update everyone with a firmer date as we get closer to opening but we’re confident that we will open by mid-October at the latest. Much of our final work is weather dependent, but we will be able to give a definitive date around five days ahead of opening.”
Halton Borough Council leader Rob Polhill said: “This is excellent news – the contractors and all involved in the construction effort are doing a phenomenal job to deliver this bridge on time. The Mersey Gateway Project is an incredible feat of engineering and will be a landmark for our region for years to come. We are already seeing its impact as a catalyst for regeneration and economic investment in the area and it will mean that drivers of 27 million vehicles every year have quicker, easier and more reliable journeys across the Mersey.”
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