THE name of the consortium which will build the iconic £600 million Mersey Gateway has been revealed.

The 'Merseylink' consortium has been chosen to build the second crossing connecting Widnes and Runcorn which is expected to create 470 jobs during construction.

It comprises Macquarie Capital Group, Bilfinger Project Investments Europe and FCC Construcción.

The construction joint venture, made up of Kier Infrastructure and Overseas, Samsung C&T Corporation and FCC Construcción, will deliver and operate the tolling element for the consortium.

Halton Borough Council made the announcement today, Thursday, at the Catalyst Museum in West Bank, Widnes.

The new bridge over the River Mersey linking Runcorn and Widnes is expected to create 4,600 jobs and regenerate the region.

Council chief executive David Parr said: "We now have to finalise the legal and financial documentation. When we have done this construction will begin, probably later this year with some preliminary works, and then more intensive activity beginning early in 2014, with a completion in 2017.

"This partnership with Merseylink will deliver Mersey Gateway for the next 30 years and it is very exciting to be part of something that will bring thousands of jobs and major regeneration opportunities to Halton and the region for years to come.

"This is a fantastic day for Halton, and one that we have worked really hard for many years to achieve.

"I would like to pay tribute to everyone involved in getting us to this stage - in particular our members, local MPs and the Mersey Gateway Project Team – it has been a real team effort, and an achievement we can all be very proud of."

Three world class engineering consortia had been competing for the 30-year contract, worth £2 billion, to design, build, finance and operate the six lane toll crossing.

Merseylink was up against two rival bids: one from the Balfour Beatty, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Egis Projects consortium and the other from the MGL consortium.