A £40 MILLION Tesco Extra 24-hour store is on target to open in March, 2012, the World can reveal, creating 400 jobs.

Construction is set to begin in five weeks.

Widnes based developer, Morbaine, has placed the contract with Britannia Construction, from Cheltenham, which is currently going through the procurement process.

John Parle, managing director of Morbaine, said: “They will be on site in 10 days’ time. It is all on target to open in March 2012.

“All the groundworks and piling will start in five weeks.

“It will be an iconic design with a cafe on the mezzanine floor, overlooking Widnes Waterfront.”

The glass fronted 120,000 sq ft store will transform a flagship seven acre site in Ashley Way.

The former B&Q, Topps Tiling and Comet have been bulldozed to make way for the new developent.

Tesco has entered into a partnership with Halton Council to ensure that the majority of jobs will go to Halton residents, particularly the long term unemployed.

The store will be suspended on stilts, creating a partly covered car park for around 600 cars.

A travellator, ramps and a lift will provide access.