Town's prosperity threatened by bridge tolls

WARRINGTON’S future prosperity is threatened by tolls to be imposed on the new Mersey Gateway – the twin crossing of the Mersey at Halton.
This warning was sounded by Cllr Ian Marks, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Warrington Borough Council.
Alarmingly, he told the council, the latest projections indicate that fewer vehicles will use the new bridge to be built and the existing bridge combined than currently use the single bridge.
The reason is that drivers will divert to avoid the £1.40 toll – and most of them will divert through Warrington.
Cllr Marks (pictured) said the project was initiated by the last Labour government and supported by the previous Labour administration in Warrington.
Regrettably, tolls on both the new bridge and the old Runcorn Bridge were accepted as a substantial ingredient of the finance.
Costs had since risen to more than £600 million and the likely toll had risen to £2 meaning it would be even more likely that drivers would divert through Warrington.
Cllr Marks said that last week the Runcorn Bridge was closed because of an accident.
The traffic queue on Chester Road, Warrington, caused by diverted traffic, extended from the Chester Road swing bridge to Bridge Foot and beyond.
“A taste of what lies in store,” he warned.
“Recently the Coalition Government has agreed to waive tolls on a new section of the A14 from Cambridge to Huntingdon because of local opposition. We call on the Government to do the same here.
“The Mersey Gateway project will bring economic development. With a toll of £2, though, there will inevitably be traffic diversion through Warrington, which will add to congestion in the town significantly.
“The recently published 2013 Warrington Business Survey said that nearly a quarter of respondents cited congestion as the main disadvantage of being located in Warrington. This toll could harm our future prosperity.”
The council agreed to urge the government to withdraw the proposed tolls.