Runcorn Bridge redevelopment delayed until 2020
The reopening of a key bridge across the River Mersey will be delayed by about 18 months.
The old Silver Jubilee Bridge closed so it could be made accessible to pedestrians and cyclists shortly after the new £600m Mersey Gateway opened. But Halton Council has now said the Grade II-listed bridge will not reopen until at least spring 2020 - about a year and a half later than planned. The authority said adverse weather was the main reason for the delay. The council said it hoped to open the bridge to pedestrians and cyclists in the summer, but vehicles would have to wait. The bridge, which connects Runcorn to Widnes in Cheshire and is known locally as Runcorn Bridge, has been free to cross since it opened in 1961. However, after the redevelopment users will be asked to pay the same toll as for the Mersey Gateway. "The main delay has been the weather", said Tim Gibbs, the council's operational director for planning, policy and transportation. He said the council would also take longer to revise the road layout leading up to the bridge, and the building of a new roundabout outside Runcorn rail station. Mr Gibbs said the crossing will be brought back to its original use as a local bridge for residents to benefit the community. It is being reduced from two lanes to a single lane in either direction in order to accommodate cycle lanes and pedestrian walkways. Much of the region's traffic will instead be directed across the new Mersey Gateway route. Related Internet Links Halton Borough Council