A NEW bridge over the Mersey has been given the green light by councillors.

The £19.3m Centre Park link – which will connect Chester Road to Slutchers Lane as part of the first phase of the wider Warrington Waterfront development – was approved unanimously at an executive board meeting at the Town Hall last night.

Scores of motorists will be able to cut out traffic hotspots of Bridge Foot and Brian Bevan Island when the link is completed by mid-2018.

The new bridge will be open to traffic travelling in a Southbound direction only – Northbound traffic will go over the existing bridge at Centre Park and will continue to use Brian Bevan Island.

The scheme will also see 630 new homes constructed in the five to seven years following the bridge’s anticipated completion date, create temporary jobs during its construction and encourage the utilisation of empty office space in Centre Park.

Warrington Borough Council will contribute £11.6m to the project - £10.2m of which will be borrowed and repaid over a 40 year period.

The government will provide £5.3m to the scheme, and the remaining £2.4m will come from the private sector.

Cllr Hans Mundry said: “It’s much needed for the town – anyone travelling over Bridge Foot realises it’s urgent to do something about these issues.”

The bridge will mark the first step in the Warrington Waterfront project which is planned to deliver another crossing to Sankey Way subject to funding and unlock prime development land at Arpley Meadows.

Cllr Terry O’ Neill said: “It will help to relieve traffic on Bridge Foot.

“It will help open up a marvellous redevelopment project – this is part of an ambitious plan.”