Mersey Gateway contractors shortlisted

Three consortium bids have reached the shortlist for a £600 million (€721 million) contract to construct and operate a new toll bridge over the River Mersey between the northern towns of Runcorn and Widnes in the UK.

The final stage of bidding for the Mersey Gateway project comes down to a competition between the MGL consortium, the Merseylink Consortium and the Balfour Beatty, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Egis Projects consortium.

The MLG consortium consists of contractors Galliford Try Investments, Hochtief PPP Solutions and Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras.

And the Merseylink consortium consists of Macquarie Capital Group, Bilfinger Berger Project Investments, Vialia Sociedad Gestora de Concesiones de Infraestructuras and FCC Construcción.

The three were selected by Halton Borough Council, whittled down from a list of six consortium groups.

Halton Borough Council leader Rob Polhill said the winner and the start date for the project would be announced in 2013.