Funding bid goes in for new bridge over the River Ribble

The Ribble could see a new crossing built over it Pic: Paul Melling

A multi-million pound proposal for building a new bridge over the River Ribble has been submitted.

Lancashire County Council is asking the government for £250million to create a new crossing over the river.

It’s long been mooted about the need for a new bridge to allow direct access to the western side of the city from Penwortham.

The county council confirmed it has submitted an application for the government’s new £2.3billion housing infrastructure fund.

The new road bridge would connect to the Penwortham Bypass, A582 and the new Preston Western Distributor.

The county council’s bid also includes a scheme for South Lancaster.

Cabinet member for economic development, environment and planning county councillor Michael Green said: “We’ve submitted two competitive expressions of interest to the government for investment funding to help to deliver new road infrastructure to enable new housing growth in Preston and South Ribble, and South Lancaster. The new proposed infrastructure would support growth across a much wider area.

“Our City Deal proposals include a new bridge across the River Ribble, to improve links between Preston and South Ribble; while our South Lancaster proposal focuses on major improvements off the M6 at junction 33, to deliver new housing growth and support the expansion of Lancaster University.

“We recognise that the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund is a nationally competitive fund that is likely to be oversubscribed, but we have a strong track record of securing new growth investment for Lancashire.

“These proposals are still at a very early stage, but we should find out later this year if we’ll be able to work with our partners and the Government to develop these exciting proposals in more detail.”

This week saw the opening of the long awaited Broughton Bypass, funded by the City Deal, and work is due to begin

In 2013 the council said an ambition for the new Ribble bridge would be to have it open around 2026.