Halton Borough Council in the UK has sought bids for the £590m Mersey Gateway Bridge across River Mersey.

The project involves design, build, finance, maintenance and operation of the new electronically tolled bridge.

The Mersey Gateway Bridge will be a three-lane bridge that will relieve congestion on Silver Jubilee Bridge as well as reduce peak travel times between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes to ten minutes .

The bidders have been asked to submit their bids by 14 December and the successful bidder is expected to be announced by 1 February next year.

The winning bidder is expected to be named in May 2013, with a contract signed in October that year.

Work on the project also includes the construction of approach roads on the north and south of the river, as well as tolling services on the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge.

The project will have a concession period of 30 years with the winning bidder running a 30-year concession on the new bridge and Silver Jubilee Bridge.

The Mersey Gateway Bridge is expected to be completed in 2016.