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UK’s Mersey Gateway Project team invites final tenders

The team behind what is set to be one of the UK’s largest infrastructure initiatives in the next few years has invited final tenders from the three shortlisted bidders competing to deliver it. The Mersey Gateway Project bidders have been asked to submit their tenders on behalf of Halton Borough Council by 10 April 2013, and an announcement about the identity of the preferred bidder is due in June 2013. This will allow the team behind the North West England-based project to sign a contract and begin construc
February 26, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
An artist’s impression of the new Mersey Gateway Bridge
The team behind what is set to be one of the UK’s largest infrastructure initiatives in the next few years has invited final tenders from the three shortlisted bidders competing to deliver it.

The 6126 Mersey Gateway Project bidders have been asked to submit their tenders on behalf of Halton Borough Council by 10 April 2013, and an announcement about the identity of the preferred bidder is due in June 2013. This will allow the team behind the North West England-based project to sign a contract and begin construction work by the end of the year.

The project team has also approved an addition to the Merseylink consortium, one of three bidding teams. Samsung C&T Corporation has joined the Merseylink consortium as part of the construction joint venture, partnering 1340 FCC Construcción S.A. and Kier Infrastructure and Overseas Limited. Halton Borough Council has formally reassessed the revised Merseylink consortium and approved the change. The Merseylink consortium equity partners remain unchanged.

The three bidders are competing for a 30-year contract to design, build, finance and operate a new toll bridge over the River Mersey between the Cheshire towns of Runcorn and Widnes, together with associated work in the towns. The final bids will be assessed against a set of detailed criteria that focuses on both quality and value for money.

This year Mersey Gateway was identified as one of the UK government’s Top 40 priority projects in the National Infrastructure Plan and it has been recognised by 4137 KPMG as one of the ‘Top 100 infrastructure projects around the globe’.

Its centrepiece is a new six-lane toll bridge over the River Mersey. The existing Silver Jubilee Bridge will also be tolled as part of the project, which is expected to help create thousands of new jobs, secure inward investment to the area and deliver important regeneration benefits.

The value of the construction phase of the project, including land, is estimated at US$909.58 million (£600m). The total project costs/revenues over the next 30 years will be around $3.03 billion (£2bn). Further detail about the detailed schedule of works will be published after the appointment of the preferred bidder.

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