Tyne Tunnel

In a refitting phase the escalators and lift shafts were due to be upgraded by October 2010 to early 2011 at a cost of £500,000.[2] A£6,000,000 refurbishment was due to take place in 2011, but multiple delays pushed the reopening date to summer 2019.[5][1]

In 2012, contractor GB Building Solutions of Balliol Business Park, Newcastle, was appointed to carry out the £4.9 million refurbishment which included the replacement of two of the original four escalators with inclined lifts and the replacement of the tunnels' ageing mechanical and electrical systems. However, GB Building Solutions went into administration in 2015, delaying the project.[6]

The two remaining escalators, which are original and of historical significance, will be opened up to public view and illuminated with feature lighting.

New lighting, CCTV, control and communications systems were installed, in addition to carrying out repairs to the tunnel structure itself and to the historic finishes within the tunnel such as the tiling and panelling. The concrete floor sections were also refurbished or replaced. During the closure, a free, timetabled shuttle bus for pedestrians and cyclists was in operation between 6am and 8pm, seven days a week, 364 days a year.[7]

The tunnel reopened at midday on 7 August 2019, operating initially for 14 hours a day until installation of the new inclined lifts is completed when the service will be 24 hours. By December 2019 monthly journeys were above 20,000 with around 25% of users being cyclists.[8]

Tyne Tunnel

Overview
Crosses	River Tyne
Start	Jarrow
End	Howdon
Operation
Opened	1968 (1968)
Closed	25 February 2011
Reopened	21 November 2011
Owner	North East Combined Authority
Operator	TT2 Ltd
Traffic	Motor vehicles
Toll	£1.80 (Cars)
Technical
No. of lanes	2
Operating speed	30 mph (48 km/h)

The vehicle tunnel is 1 mile or 5,500 feet (1,700 m) long and has a diameter of 31 ft 3 in (9.5 m) with a roadbed 24 ft (7.3 m). It was built by Edmund Nuttall Limited and was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 19 October 1967, but commenced operational use only in 1968, on completion of the northern link roads. It was designed to handle 25,000 vehicles per day. The original toll for cars was 2s 6d (12.5p).

New Tyne Crossing

Overview
Route	A19
Start	Howdon
End	Jarrow
Operation
Work begun	2008
Opened	25 February 2011 (2011-02-25)
Owner	North East Combined Authority
Operator	TT2 Ltd
Traffic	Motor vehicles
Toll	£1.80 (Cars)
Technical
No. of lanes	2
Operating speed	40 mph (64 km/h)

Tunnel usage is forecast to rise to 43,000 per day by 2021. In March 2004 the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority launched a scheme to build a second, £139 million tunnel. The tunnel is slightly to the east of the existing tunnel, and the pairing allows each tunnel to serve two lanes of traffic, each travelling in the same direction; the original tunnel had two single lanes of traffic in opposing directions, representing an avoidable risk. The UK government gave the go-ahead for the scheme in July 2005. Construction work started in spring 2008, with the new tunnel opening to two-lane bi-directional traffic on 25 February 2011, at which point the original tunnel closed for a ten-month refurbishment.

The timeline for the new Tyne Tunnel was as follows:

• Transfer tunnels and staff to concessionaire: 1 February 2008
• Main work started: Spring 2008
• New tunnel opened: end of February 2011
• Existing tunnel closed for refurbishment: end of February 2011
• Both existing and new tunnel fully operational and open: end of November 2011. Originally this was planned for January 2012; however, both refurbishment of the old tunnel was completed earlier than expected and both tunnels were open by lunchtime on 21 November 2011.[9]

The tunnel was constructed under a private finance initiative 30-year "design–build–finance–operate" contract by Bouygues Construction.

Onshore sections of the new tunnel were built using the cut-and-cover method. Under-river sections of the tunnel were prefabricated, floated into position, immersed into a dredged trench, and covered with rocks. By beginning of November 2009, the land approaches to the tunnel had been excavated, and construction of the tunnel, in four 300-foot (90 m) sections, had been completed nearby. The dredger used to excavate the river section of the tunnel cutting arrived on site on 4 November 2009 to excavate 400,000 cubic metres of sediment, which was used to infill the defunct Tyne Dock, reclaiming 13 acres (53,000 m²) of land for use by Port of Tyne.[10] Both ends of the tunnel finally met on 26 May 2010.

The new tunnel is fitted with a fixed fire suppression system which releases a fine mist to contain fires to help motorists leave safely and to prevent damage to the tunnel structure. There is also a separate evacuation corridor which runs adjacent to the main tunnel. The old tunnel, now fully refurbished, includes many of the same safety features.

The New Tyne crossing is claimed to be one of the safest in the UK,[9] thanks to a state-of-the-art active fire suppression system which is now included in its design. It is the first in the UK to be fitted with a water mist active fire suppression system, and will further ensure the safety of thousands of people who will travel through it every day.

The original 1960s-built tunnel was slated as of one of the least safe in Europe in 2000, according to a study. Inspectors visited 25 major tunnels around Europe after fire devastated the Mont Blanc Tunnel under the Alps between France and Italy. The Tyne Tunnel was officially rated as "poor" and languished near the bottom of the European league table. The inspectors found it had no automatic fire alarm system, poor lighting, no laybys or hard shoulder, and an emergency walkway that could be reached only by able-bodied people. They also criticised its smoke extraction system. These deficiencies were addressed during the refurbishment of the original road tunnel in 2011.

As of 2019, the toll charge for cars is £1.80; vans, trucks, and buses, £3.60.[11] Motorcycles use the tunnel free and Blue Badge holders can apply for an exemption account.[12] A 10% discount is available to Tyne Tunnel permit holders. The permits are passive electronic discs stuck to the inside of the vehicle's windscreen, which are electronically read by the toll booth's scanner, whereupon the toll is debited from the permit-holder's account. Automatic number-plate recognition technology is also used.[13]

Former Tyne Tunnels logo