Construction is expected to cost around £510m with the winning consortium due to be awarded the contract in exactly two years.

Already Halton Borough Council is aiming to make some modifications to the original plan to save up to £30m.

This will include allowing bidders to come up with a lower weight bridge deck by considering the option of running light rail across the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge instead of the new bridge as originally planned.

Modifications video

Planned toll booths will now be replaced with electronic tolling devices reducing land take for the project.

Due to the complexity of the bridge project, the council is opting to use a competitive dialogue with bidders allowing different technical, financial and legal solutions to be tabled.

Smaller contracts relating to advance works and other opportunities will be advertised through The Chest, email: www.thechest.nwce.gov.uk.

The Mersey Gateway Bridge is expected to open for traffic in 2016, with the winning bidder running a 30-year concession on the new bridge and Silver Jubilee Bridge.

The dual three-lane bridge will ease serious congestion currently experienced by users of the Silver Jubilee Bridge, reducing journey times by up to 10 minutes at peak times.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 14 December allowing an invitation to tender to be issued on 1 February to selected bidders.

Under the existing programme, a preferred bidder will be named in May 2013, with a contract signed in October that year.