New look signage set to be installed across Mersey Gateway route as part of future-proofing exercise as Silver Jubilee plans develop
There will be a new look to signage on and approaching the Mersey Gateway Bridge starting this month.
Drivers and residents will see the ‘Large Red C’ symbol on the new signs – the ‘C’ stands for ‘charge’. It will be very familiar to anyone who has seen congestion charge signage in London and be instantly recognisable to many people as symbolising there is a charge to pay for crossing the bridge.
The ‘Large Red C’ will appear alongside the directional signage and reminders for people to pay tolling operator merseyflow by midnight the day after they cross the bridge as well as being painted on the road itself in key locations.
The new look to signage is being introduced as a result of a review of all scheme signs ahead of the re-opening of the Silver Jubilee Bridge next year.
It is also in line with emerging government plans to introduce a consistent approach across the UK to use the Large Red ‘C’ to indicate to drivers that they have to pay a charge on a particular route.
Weather permitting, the work to install the new signage and to update some existing signs will begin at the end of June and be completed in several phases over the course of the coming months.
Some signs will be simple and quick to update, whereas others are more complex and will require occasional off-peak and short-term lane closures on the bridge and on some approach roads due to the type of signage and its specific location. All installation and update work will be done at off-peak times to ensure there is no delay to traffic using the key route.
Over two million vehicles a month use the Mersey Gateway Bridge, which connects Runcorn and Widnes and is a key strategic link from Merseyside to Cheshire and beyond.
Since the bridge opened in 2017 it has significantly cut journey times and improved reliability for millions of commuters, holiday-makers and local residents travelling around Halton and the wider north west.
Mike Bennett, Managing Director of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, said: “There is no change at all for drivers in terms of what they pay, when they pay or how they pay – it is very much business as usual. We’re taking the opportunity, ahead of the re-opening of the Silver Jubilee Bridge next year, to update the scheme signage across the board.
He added: “We regularly review all aspects of the project to identify any areas where we can develop and improve the way we engage with drivers and this is part of that ongoing activity.”
The Mersey Gateway Crossings Board Ltd (MGCB) is a special purpose vehicle established by Halton Borough Council with the delegated authority to deliver the Mersey Gateway Bridge project. It administered and oversaw the construction of the new bridge and now oversees the maintenance of the new tolled crossings including the tolling of the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge.