Council chiefs will urge both UK and Scottish governments to put a new multi-million pound bridge over the River Dee at the heart of any new city deal.
Aberdeen councillors on yesterday’s infrastructure committee voted to write to both Holyrood and Westminster for future funding for the structure.
The committee heard the estimated cost is £70-80million.
But rivals clashed over the number of lanes of traffic it should carry.
The ruling Conservative, Aberdeen Labour and independent coalition back six while the opposition SNP and Liberal Democrat groups prefer four.
Traffic modelling in a report presented to councillors suggested fewer lanes could result in “severe congestion”
But the SNP and Liberal Democrats, who both promised new bridges as part of the council election manifestos last year, said that the modelling had been carried out years ago and the four lane bridge should still be considered.
Aberdeen Labour member Sarah Duncan said the debate was “hypothetical” since the council did not have the money to build the bridge itself.
SNP group leader Stephen Flynn said: “I don’t understand how we can build a bridge across the Firth of Forth with the new Queensferry Crossing but can’t build a four lane bridge across the Dee.”
Conservative Alan Donnelly said: “I have avoided the Garthdee roundabout for 15 years because of the traffic, this needs sorted.”
The administration motion was backed by nine votes to eight.
