Tyne cyclist and pedestrian tunnels

Tyne Cyclist and Pedestrian Tunnel runs under the River Tyne between Howdon and Jarrow in Tyne & Wear, England. Opened in 1951, heralded as a contribution to the Festival of Britain, it was Britain's first purpose-built cycling tunnel.[1] The original cost was £833,000[1] and the tunnel was used by 20,000 people a day.[2] It consists of two tunnels running in parallel, one for pedestrian use with a 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) diameter, and a larger 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in) diameter tunnel for pedal cyclists. Both tunnels are 270 m (884 ft) in length, and lie 12 m (40 ft) below the river bed, at their deepest point.[1] The tunnels are over 60 years old and are Grade II listed buildings.[3][2]

Tyne Pedestrian and Cycle Tunnel
Overview
Route
CrossesRiver Tyne
StartJarrow
EndHowdon
Operation
Opened1951
Reopened7 August 2019
OwnerNorth East Joint Transport Committee
OperatorNorth East Joint Transport Committee
TrafficPedestrians and cyclists
TollFree
Technical
Length270 m (884 ft)

At each end, the tunnels are connected to surface buildings by two escalators and a lift. The Waygood-Otis escalators have 306 wooden steps each, and are the original models from 1951.[1] At the time of construction, they were the highest single-rise escalators in the UK, with a vertical rise of 85 feet (26 m) and a length of 197 feet (60 m). In 1992, escalators with a higher vertical rise of 90 feet (27.4 m) and 200 feet (61 m) in length were constructed at Angel station on the London Underground. The Tyne Tunnel escalators remain the longest wooden escalators in the world.

20,000 people a month used the pedestrian tunnel in 2013.[4]

Refurbishment

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,[8] 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.[9] People using the tunnels can link with cycle routes at either end, the 317 bus service for Wallsend or Whitley Bay from the north end or take a short walk to the Jarrow bus and Metro station from the south end. Mobility scooters can access the tunnels and dogs on leads are allowed.

As of summer 2023, neither of the inclined lifts has been completed, and the dismantled escalator channel at each end of the tunnel remains fenced off. Pedestrians can still use the other escalator, albeit that these are permanently stopped and so function only as long staircases. The vertical lift at each end remains in operation.

See also

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tyne cyclist and pedestrian tunnels.
  1. "About The Tunnels". North East Joint Transport Committee. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  2. "Improvement pledge for pedestrian Tyne Tunnel". The Journal. Newcastle upon Tyne: Trinity Mirror. 24 June 2010. ISSN 0307-3645. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  3. "New Tyne Tunnel moves a step closer". The Northern Echo. Darlington: Newsquest. 28 February 2002. ISSN 2043-0442. Retrieved 31 August 2008.
  4. "FAQs". tynepedestrianandcyclisttunnels.co.uk. 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010. Q. How many people use the tunnels? A: Around 20,000 journeys are made per month through the tunnels. That's around a quarter of a million people every year. It is fairly evenly split between cyclists and pedestrians.
  5. Seddon, Sean (9 July 2018). "Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel work progressing well - but reopening date could be moved back". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne: Reach. Retrieved 28 July 2018. An update on the refurbishment due to be discussed by councillors this week suggests work is progressing well to restore the historic route. But it also concedes the reopening date looks likely to have to be pushed back by a few months to get it finished.
  6. Schouten, Charlie (19 March 2015). "Tyne tunnels project hit by delays after contractor's administration". Construction News. London: EMAP. Retrieved 7 February 2020. The Tyne pedestrian and cyclist tunnels project is the latest scheme to be hit by delays after GB Building Solutions fell into administration last week
  7. "Tyne Pedestrian and Cycle Tunnel". tynepedestrianandcyclisttunnels.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  8. "We are now open – Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels". Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  9. "Transport chiefs slam 'unacceptable' delays over new lifts at Tyne Pedestrian and Cycle Tunnel". www.shieldsgazette.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
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