The project will bring huge estimated benefits for people and businesses in Halton, the Liverpool city-region, Cheshire and across the north west.
Economic benefits:
- 470 permanent full-time equivalent jobs on site during the construction phase
- 4,640 permanent new jobs as a result of the operation of the Mersey Gateway, regeneration activity and inward investment
- £61.9 million a year in Gross Value Added from the new jobs by 2030, and
- it will also support sustained growth at Liverpool Ports and Liverpool John Lennon Airport and improve business productivity throughout the Mersey corridor (known as agglomeration impacts).
Transport benefits:
- reductions in journey times of up to 10 minutes in peak periods
- increase in journey time reliability
- less congestion resulting in lower carbon emissions
- reductions in the cost of accidents of up to £39 million
- 80% less traffic using the Silver Jubilee Bridge, freeing it up for use as a local bridge
- increased network resilience and civil contingencies
- reductions in maintenance delays as a result of reduced congestion, and
- a major strategic new transport route linking the Liverpool city-region and the north west to the rest of the country.
Social benefits:
- improvements to public transport facilities
- improvements to walking and cycling facilities
- improved health as a result of reduced air pollution
- safer, new routes for cyclists and pedestrians across and around the river, more reliable access to emergency services and more robust emergency civil contingency planning.