TRANSPORT Minister Tony McNulty has said he recognises the importance of a new Mersey crossing to the region's economy.
TRANSPORT Minister Tony McNulty has said he recognises the importance of a new Mersey crossing to the region&apos;s economy.
Mr McNulty was responding to a series of questions from the Daily Post, which has called on the Government to give the vital project the green light in a bid to eliminate the congestion problems on the Silver Jubilee bridge at Runcorn.
However, Mr McNulty added that "there were a number of issues which require further detailed examination" before a decision could be made.
It is hoped a new bridge, running from the Central Expressway in Runcorn to the Eastern Bypass in Widnes, could be in place by the end of the decade.
You visited Runcorn last year - what was your impression of the congestion problems on the current Silver Jubilee Bridge?
I recognise that, like many other sections of the road network, the Silver Jubilee Bridge caters for heavy volumes of traffic and experiences congestion problems particularly in peak hours.
Moreover, if there is an incident that causes the bridge to be closed this can cause major traffic problems across the entire area. I also appreciate the endeavours by Halton Borough Council to keep the bridge open and working.
The Government currently describes the plans for a new bridge as a "super work in progress". What does that mean for its likelihood of success?
"Super works in progress" is a categorisation that we use for schemes that require further appraisal and development work before we can reach a final decision on them and is not approval in principle.
In our response to Halton on the 2003 local transport settlement we explained that, whilst we recognised the importance of the scheme and the amount of work Halton have undertaken, there were a number of issues which require further detailed examination.
This includes assessing the impact on wider strategic road network, considering the feasibility of tolling and clarifying the environmental impacts. We have already provided £600,000 to assist in preparatory studies. We will make a decision on the scheme once Halton Borough Council has completed this additional work.
How convinced is the Government about the major economic benefits the Mersey Crossing Group believes would result from a new bridge?
Until we have received the further work requested from Halton it is not possible to give a definitive view. However I do recognise the scheme&apos;s importance and high profile within the region and the potential regeneration benefits.
The Government has asked for further information on possible tolling. Would this not simply replace one disincentive for business and investment (congestion) with another (toll charges)?
Successive governments have taken the view that tolls are justified because the user benefits from the exceptional savings in time and money that these expensive facilities make possible. That is why we have asked the local authority, as part of the further work they are undertaking, to explore whether tolls would be justified in this particular case.
Clearly a new bridge would be expensive £335m is the current estimate - how certain can the people of Merseyside and Halton be that any major transport expenditure connected with a possible London Olympics in 2012 would not take precedence in funding terms?
We will take full account of transport priorities across the country in developing our expenditure plans. Decisions on transport funding for London, including any support for the 2012 Olympics if London&apos;s bid is successful, would be taken in that context.
The Mersey Crossing Group is due to submit the extra information requested by the Government in November. At what stage might we expect a decision on whether the project can proceed to the next stage?
I would hope it would be during the first half of 2005.
If the Government decided not to support a new bridge, what alternative proposals does it feel could help ease the nightmare many drivers face on the bridge?
I do not want to speculate on the outcome at this stage. But if the Government did decide not to support a new crossing it would be for the local authorities to consider alternative options.