The long-awaited public inquiry into the second Mersey crossing opened in Widnes today, with an outcome in favour of building the bridge likely to facilitate a wave of development on both sides of the river. Urban Splash, which wants to develop a scheme in Runcorn, stands to benefit from the improved infrastructure, as does St Modwen, which is involved with the Widnes Waterfront site.
The main sticking point appears to be proposals to introduce tolls not only for the new bridge, known as Mersey Gateway, but also for the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge. A pressure group called the National Authority Against Tolls (using the catchy acronym NAAT) claims the idea will create an "economic blight" across the area.
On the other hand, Tony McDermott, the leader of Halton council (that's the bit around Widnes and Runcorn), says the existing bridge is suffering from "acute failure" and that building a new one
is economic, it fits the environment and it is deliverable within the funding terms we have agreed with Government.
There is an official public inquiry website but it doesn't say how long the inquiry is supposed to last. The programme for the inquiry has yet to appear on the site and will be published "when prepared". However, if the scheme is approved by the Secretary of State, work on the bridge could begin in 2011, with completion in 2014.
THE IDEA MIGHT SEEM GOOD, BUT DO YOU REALISE THE PLAN IS TO DIVERT ALL THE BRIDGE TRAFFIC FROM THE ORBITAL ROUTE WITH HARD SHOULDER THAT RUNS AROUND RUNCORN TOWN, AND DIRECT IT ONTO LANES JUST LIKE THE PRESENT (SILVER JUBILEE) BRIDGE, RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH THE CENTRE OF TOWN! IMAGINE THAT CONGESTION, AND NO HARD SHOULDER FOR EMERGENCIES, AS WELL AS THE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE PLANNERS TOWARDS PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES. RUNCORN RESIDENTS ALREADY PUT UP WITH A LOT IN THEIR HOME TOWN BECAUSE OF THROUGH TRAFFIC, SO SPARE A THOUGHT FOR WHAT THE PLANNERS HAVE MANAGED TO KEEP WELL HIDDEN UP TO THIS POINT. Eight lanes of traffic, 90,000 to 100,000 vehicles per day through residential areas, is totally unfair and so unnecessary. Please go to www.merseycrossing.webs.com for further information, and leave a comment there on 'Have Your Say'. Thanks to you all.
Not only is this the first time in history that a toll for an existing bridge, the Silver Jubilee Bridge has had a toll applied to be placed upon it's use, But surely this is the first time that a Government wants to demolish perfectly good infrastructure and re-build it just the same (only slightly different) on the Central Expressway (which goes through the most densely populated residential areas of Runcorn) when there is a BYPASS already BUILT and waiting to be used...Well.. DARRR!!
Alderly edge in cheshire was given a bypass last year to reduce the traffic through it's town by 12,000 vehicles per day. HALTON BOROUGH COUNCIL want to increase the traffic next to the homes...I MEAN RIGHT NEXT TO THE HOMES a metre in some cases, by as much as 100,000 vehicles per day...GO FIGURE???? And they have tried to do this by stealth, Fortunately people are slowly waking up to the deceit, The WARRINGTON ROAD RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION Spoksperson can be contacte on:01928-565-951 If you can help give him a call.