A. The Tyne Tunnel does not get any financial help from Central Government, unlike the other crossings of the Tyne. It has to cover its running costs and, before control passed to TT2, had to repay the Government for the money that was borrowed for its construction. Toll monies are now being used to pay for the New Tyne Crossing.
A. No. The queues of traffic experienced at the tunnel form because the number of lanes available in the tunnel for the traffic wishing to use it are insufficient. Even if there were more toll booths the numbers of vehicles passing through the tunnel during peak hours would remain the same and so the queues would still form.
A. No. The tubes forming the new tunnel will lie below the dredge depth of the River Tyne agreed with the Port of Tyne Authority.
A. The River Tyne is one of the best salmon rivers in England and the TWITA is doing everything it can to ensure it stays that way. It monitors water quality in the river on a regular basis and has donated £250,000 to the Tyne Rivers Trust to improve the river for fish and other marine life. Samples taken from the river bed where the trench will be dredged have revealed no significant levels of contamination. The construction programme is being managed to ensure that dredging and the lowering of the units into the trench are undertaken in winter when migratory fish levels are at their lowest.
A.If your enjoyment of your home is seriously affected by the New Tyne Crossing, you may ask the TWITA to buy it even if it is not needed for the scheme. The TWITA does not have to buy your property. It has discretion as to whether or not to buy. There are guidelines on the Discretionary Purchase Scheme explaining the requirements you must fulfil before the TWITA considers whether to buy your property.
A. An immersed tube tunnel is a tunnel made up of a number of 'tube' units which are constructed in a dry dock and floated out to their final location and then sunk into a dredged trench. The tube units are then fastened together and covered over for protection. The technique has many advantages over a bored tunnel (like the existing vehicle tunnel for example) and has been used for numerous tunnels in Europe. Contractor Bouygues TP was responsible for the recent construction of an immersed tube tunnel in Rostock, Germany. There are two examples in Britain at Medway, Kent, and Conwy in North Wales.
A. The immersed tube units have temporary bulk-heads installed for their journey between the dry dock construction area and their permanent location. These have guiding mechanisms fitted to allow adjoining units to be located so that the sealing membranes engage. Once this has been successfully done the water between the two adjacent bulk-heads is pumped out to create a vacuum. The water pressure on the tubes then squeezes the tubes together to make the seal water-tight. The tubes are eventually locked into position at the two ends of the immersed tube tunnel where it meets structures produced by conventional construction methods.
A. This has not been decided yet. The local councils on either side of the river will need to come to view on the eventual land use along the tunnel corridor.
A. This has been considered but has been found not to be feasible. This is largely because of the shape of the land on the banks of the Tyne at this location, the depth below the river that the tunnel will have to achieve and the height of the adjacent Metro lines and stations. These factors make it nearly impossible to do and would inevitably involve an inordinate expense. It is also not clear how money would be found to pay for a Metro tunnel.
A. A feasibility report which was commissioned by the local authorities on Tyneside together with the DETR(formerly the Department of Transport ) to study the options available to form a crossing on the A19 corridor. The study looked at a bored tunnel option and a number of bridge options. The bridge options were very expensive and required the adoption of un-tried designs because of the spans and opening/clearance criteria that would be imposed be the Port of Tyne Authority.
A. This is the company set up by the successful bidder for the project to operate the existing tunnels, prepare the design for the new crossing, secure the necessary funding for the construction of the tunnel and operate all the tunnels for the next 30 years. The Concessionaire is TT2 Ltd.
A. Yes, the tolls will have to rise to meet the financing costs involved in constructing the new vehicle tunnel and refurbishing the existing tunnel.
A. The TWITA could not raise sufficient capital to be able to finance such a massive civil engineering project. Also the TWITA does not have the technical expertise and resources to advise on the myriad of issues that will have to addressed as part of the development of the project.
A. It is envisaged that the Noise Insulation Regulations 1975 will apply. Base line surveys have been already been carried out wi be done and any properties that have been found to comply with the 1975 Act criteria will be offered noise insulation.
A. The reason goes back to the abolition of the former Tyne and Wear County Council in 1986. Each of the five Tyne and Wear Metropolitan District Councils took responsibility for a function of the former County Council that was to continue on a countywide basis. Newcastle was given responsibility for administering the Integrated Transport Authority which is responsible for the operation and upkeep of the Tyne Tunnels.
A. There will need to be new toll booths for the south bound A19 traffic. These will be located approx ¼ mile from the existing booths and approx ¼ mile south of the A19/A193 junction. North bound traffic will use reconfigured toll booths near to where the existing toll plaza currently stands. There will be a need to amend the road layouts on both banks of the Tyne for two reasons : • To cater for the A19 traffic to flow freely into the Tyne Tunnel without having to negotiate junctions • The line of the new tunnel will make it necessary for south bound traffic from the East Howdon/ riverside areas to access the tunnel from the A193 junction.
A. These tunnels are Grade 2 Listed Buildings and will be retained as a free facility. The cost of their upkeep will be met from the tolls levied on traffic using the vehicle tunnels.
A. The New Tyne Crossing helpline (0191 262 4451) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to take your calls. Weekly drop-in sessions are also held close to the construction site. You don't need to make an appointment to visit these sessions. They are held every:
Tuesday 11am - 3pm at Queens Road Day Centre, off Saxon Way, Jarrow
Wednesday 10am - 3pm at East Howdon Community Centre, Chatton Street, East Howdon
Thursday 10am - 3pm at Jarrow Library, Grange Road (off Morrisons' Car Park), Jarrow
In addition, there are residents’ partnering forums on each side of the river consisting of representatives of local residents’ associations. These forums are also attended by local councillors and provide an opportunity for issues to be raised and addressed promptly and transparently. If an issue cannot be resolved at these forums then it is taken to the Strategic Partnering Forum, which includes representatives from regional bodies such as the Highways Agency and the Environment Agency. You can contact your local residents’ association if you have any concerns relating to the New Tyne Crossing.
A. Concessionaire TT2 works closely with local councils and Job Centres to ensure that local people and businesses have every chance of benefiting from the construction of the New Tyne Crossing. Job seekers and businesses can send their CVs or business information to tt2limited@tt2.co.uk for inclusion on the local employment and procurement databases. For further information please phone the Community Liaison Team on 0191 259 8189