The Mersey Gateway is a new road bridge across the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal in north-west England, which began construction in May 2014. The bridge will be located approximately 1.5 km (0.93 mi) to the east of the existing Silver Jubilee Bridge that connects the towns of Widnes and Runcorn. It will connect the Central Expressway in Runcorn with the Eastern Bypass and Speke Road in Widnes. The draft design is for a cable-stayed bridge with three towers across the river, and a second bridge across the canal. The total length of the crossing will be 1,000 m (3,300 ft).