A NEW project director has been appointed to lead the construction of the iconic Mersey Gateway project.

Richard Walker is now in charge of one of the largest infrastructure schemes currently underway in the UK.

He will oversee delivery of the three-and-a-half-year construction project, which involves building a six-lane cable-stay bridge across the River Mersey and a new and improved 9.5km link road to connect the national motorway network in north Cheshire with Merseyside.

Mr Walker joins Merseylink from Balfour Beatty where he led on the construction of two new underground stations for the flagship London Crossrail project together with a number of significant projects for Network Rail including Blackfriars station and bridge.

Prior to this, he was managing director of Bilfinger Berger's UK operation.

A chartered civil engineer, Mr Walker has worked on a number of major UK transport projects during his successful career in construction, including highways, bridges, railways, tunnelling, and localised road schemes.

Hugh O'Connor, general manager of Merseylink, said: "Bringing in a project director with UK highways expertise was always a key priority because this project is about much more than just building a bridge.

“We are improving the existing road infrastructure and building the new approach roads, and this forms a major part of the construction work.

“Richard's appointment comes at a crucial time and Merseylink will significantly benefit from his extensive experience and leadership."

Mr Walker from the Wirral, said: "I'm delighted to be on board. The Mersey Gateway is an exciting and challenging construction project, set to bring huge benefits to the local area and wider region.

“My number one priority is to ensure that this project is delivered safely and on time so that by the end of 2017, Halton will have an iconic new bridge and road network that will act as a catalyst to stimulate the regional economy."