THE NEW TYNE CROSSING

 

Introduction

The proposed New Tyne Crossing will be built next to the existing Tyne (vehicle) Tunnel between East Howdon and Jarrow. It will make the A19 dual carriageway all the way from its junction with the A1 in Northumberland to North Yorkshire.

The A19 is a very important road in the North East of England because it links the conurbations of Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside. At present, the existing vehicle tunnel is a bottleneck and suffers serious congestion at peak times. This has a knock-on effect on other crossings of the Tyne as motorists find ways of avoiding the congestion.

A Public Inquiry into the New Tyne Crossing was held in 2003. The Secretary of State for Transport is currently considering whether to give the project the go-ahead. All information on this site relating to the scheme is conditional on the approval of the Secretary of State.

At the Public Inquiry, the scheme's proposer, the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority (TWPTA), said the New Tyne Crossing was necessary for the following reasons:

· It will enhance economic development in Tyne and Wear by improving access to jobs and customers.
· It will reduce congestion on all Tyne river crossings.
· It will improve air quality for residents living near the river crossings.
· It will improve safety for vehicle tunnel users.

The New Tyne Crossing will cost £185 million (at today's prices) to build. The section under the river will be constructed using Immersed Tube technology. Other major works associated with the scheme include the construction of a new toll plaza on the north bank of the river and a new road interchange on the south bank.

A consortium of private sector companies, to be known as the Concessionaire, will be selected following a tendering process to finance, design, and build the New Tyne Crossing and operate all the tunnels, including the pedestrian and cycle tunnels.

The Concessionaire will run the tunnels for around 30 years and will set the tolls for using the vehicle tunnels in conjuction with the TWPTA.

It is hoped the New Tyne Crossing will be open in 2009.