Toll bridge plan attacked

A WARRINGTON councillor is urging people to join a campaign to block plans to introduce a toll on the proposed Mersey Gateway bridge to be built at Widnes.
Coun Jo Crotty says a toll on the bridge would bring traffic chaos to Warrington.
The borough council has already criticised the plans and threatened to withdraw support for the bridge project.
Now Coun Crotty (pictured), the Prospective Liberal Democrat candidate for Warrington South, is adding her weight to the protest.
She said: “A toll bridge would be bad for Warrington. The new bridge has been talked about as a way to reduce traffic problems in Warrington, but the plan to charge tolls without the monies to ease traffic will only make things in our area worse.
“Building this toll bridge and putting traffic calming on the existing Mersey bridge would result in less traffic using the two bridges than already use just the one.
“Putting tolls on the new bridge will result in an increase in traffic being diverted through Warrington. Local motorists will tell you the last thing we need here in Warrington is more traffic.
“The other problem is the type of traffic. Many trucks and lorries will not use the toll bridge and we will end up seeing more and more of them crossing the river and driving through Warrington.”
Under the Mersey Gateway project a new bridge would be built near to the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge, which links Widnes and Runcorn.
Coun Crotty added: “This is simply unacceptable. The Labour Government must step up and provide the funding for the bridge rather than let the developer charge tolls. An additional bridge without tolls would be good news for Warrington, a replacement bridge with a toll is not.
“Why is it that Labour is happy to spend unlimited amounts of taxpayer money on the Olympics in East London, yet it won’t find the money to build a much needed transport link here in the North West?
“I urge local people to sign our petition against the plans for a toll.”