THE QUEST for a £335m second Mersey crossing is still in top gear, say bridge chiefs, despite the Government delaying a decision until 2006.
Work is already well under way to complete further detailed studies, as requested by roads minister Stephen Ladyman.
"Lots of hard work is going on behind the scenes to make sure all the issues raised have been addressed," said Halton Council leader, Cllr Tony McDermott, chair of the Mersey Crossing Group.
"We want to work with our local MPs to ensure that these efforts are matched by the political will at the heart of Government to move the project forward."
Project engineers Gifford are applying trailblazing methods to build up a detailed picture of the North West's traffic network.
Up to 7,000 new jobs and £90m annual income, campaigners believe, could be generated from the new crossing. The proposed Mersey Gateway would link the Central Expressway in Runcorn to the Eastern Bypass in Widnes, taking 80 per cent of vehicles from the traffic clogged current bridge.
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