A SECOND colossal piece of equipment is coming to Halton to help build England’s biggest new river crossing.

The new movable scaffold system (MSS) will look like the orange Trinity machine currently building the north approach viaduct in Widnes.

The new red machine will build the south elevated approach viaduct connecting Runcorn’s main road network to the Mersey Gateway bridge.

As no firms based in the UK currently have the skills and expertise to design, build and operate a machine of this specification, Merseylink had to look further afield.

The MSS is being manufactured in China and is due to arrive in Runcorn next month.

Halton schoolchildren are being invited to christen it.

When fully assembled, it will measure 157 metres long: the length of around one-and-a-half football pitches.

It will be eight metres high and 22 metres across at its widest point. At 1,700 tonnes, the steel structure will weigh the equivalent of 140 double-decker buses.

Workers will begin to assemble the MSS on Astmoor in the summer around the first pier of the approach viaduct, approximately 12.5m above the ground.

Bridge builders Merseylink decided to deploy the additional machine to save time dismantling, transporting and reassembling Trinity on the south side of the river.

Richard Walker, project director at Merseylink, said: “On a project of this scale, a degree of flexibility in the programme is always needed so we can make improvements when necessary.

“Bringing in another MSS will provide additional resilience and ensure that we remain on track to open the new bridge in autumn 2017.”

Halton schools are being invited to take part in a competition to name the machine, which will start operating in September.

Mr Walker added: “It will be incredibly exciting to have two giant machines like this working on the project at the same time.

“The team is looking forward to hearing the name suggestions that we get from local children.”