CHILDREN have named a giant machine which will build a key part of the Mersey Gateway bridge.

Lunt's Heath Primary School in Widnes won a competition to name Merseylink's new movable scaffold system which will construct the south elevated approach viaduct in Runcorn.

Pupils and teachers were invited to a special ceremony where the huge red machine was officially named ‘Webster'.

The name was chosen by the schoolchildren in memory of John James Webster, a civil engineer from Warrington, who designed and built the old Runcorn Transporter Bridge.

Bridge builders Merseylink invited Halton primary schools to christen the machine.

Destiny, Optimus, Infinity, Horizon, Transformer and Goliath were among the suggested names.

Webster proved to be a firm favourite with the project team because of its unique local connection.

Teacher Jill Irlam, said: "The children had been studying the bridge and the River Mersey and were asked to suggest as name as part of their English homework.

“The whole year group really engaged with the bridge topic last term and were all very pleased when they heard we had won the competition. They all cheered when it was announced."

Pupils Anastacia Murphy and Mia Harding, 10, attended the naming ceremony with headteacher Andy Williams and class teacher Sue Pugh.

Anastacia said: "I was shocked and amazed that my name had been chosen."

Mia said: "The new bridge is fantastic and it's really exciting to see the new machine and bridge close up."

Webster will operate like Trinity, the orange machine which is building the north approach viaduct in Widnes.

Both are 157m long - the length of around one and a half football pitches - 8m high and 22m wide.

At 1700 tonnes, the steel structures weigh the equivalent of 140 double decker buses.

The machines act as giant concrete moulds for the roadway of the approach viaducts.

They are locked onto the bridge piers and concrete is poured into the mould to cast a deck span.

The equipment then moves along to cast the next span.