Tyne Tunnel Closure July 2009
Questions & Answers
When will the Tyne Tunnel be closed?
The Tyne vehicle tunnel will be closed between 5.00am on the morning of Saturday 11th July until 11.00pm on the evening of Sunday 12th July 2009.
When will the Tyne Tunnel re-open to traffic?
The tunnel will re-open to customers from 11.00pm on Sunday 12th July 2009.
Why are you closing the tunnel?
The existing Tyne Tunnel will be closed so that an important part of the New Tyne Crossing can be built at the south junction in Jarrow.
The south junction of the New Tyne Crossing, once completed, will include a new loop road bridge, to carry traffic between Jarrow / South Shields and the A19 /Tyne Tunnel, as well as a replacement bridge for the existing Howard Street bridge.
The construction of these new road bridges requires a number of large and very heavy concrete beams to be lowered into place onto the pillars that are currently being built.
It is not safe for traffic to pass beneath these beams while the positioning operations take place, making a full tunnel closure essential as a safety precaution. In addition the large cranes and machinery that are required to position the beams will be located on the carriageway, thereby blocking access to the vehicle tunnel.
What is the New Tyne Crossing?
The New Tyne Crossing is the project to build a second vehicle tunnel under the River Tyne and fully refurbish the existing Tyne Tunnel, which is now more than 40 years old.
Can you close the Tyne Tunnel at some other time instead?
The timing of the closure is dependent on several factors including meeting the complex project programme for the New Tyne Crossing.
It’s not possible to bring the construction of the road bridges forward any earlier than 11th July, as the work that needs to take place before the beams are lowered into place will not have been completed until that time.
On the other hand, we do not want to delay this work because the Highways Agency is carrying out major road works on the A1 from 25th July. So that we can minimise disruption to motorists, we have timed the tunnel closure so that it does not coincide with the A1 road works.
Does the tunnel really have to be closed to do this work?
Yes. The concrete beams that will be lowered into place are extremely large and heavy. It would be irresponsible to allow traffic to pass beneath these beams as they are positioned because of the risks to public health and safety. Furthermore, the carriageway will be blocked by the cranes and machinery needed to move the beams so that access to the tunnel will be physically prevented.
Where will the tunnel closure begin and end?
The A19 will be closed between the Jarrow junction (A185) south of the Tyne Tunnel and the Moor Farm (A193) junction to the north of the tunnel.
Are any other road works taking place nearby when you close the Tyne Tunnel?
Yes. As part of the construction of the new road bridges at the south junction it will also be necessary to close Howard Street bridge during the weekend of 11th – 12th July. Local traffic management plans and diversions will be in place for local (Jarrow) traffic during this time.
The Highways Agency will also be demolishing Castle Park bridge (B1317) during this weekend. This will mean that a section of the A19 north of the Tyne Tunnel will also be closed, between the Holystone interchange and the Killingworth interchange. This work will take place between 6pm on Saturday 11th July and 12 noon on Sunday 12th July.
Will the tunnel be closed at the same time as the A1 road works at Allerdene Bridge?
No. We have worked closely with the Highways Agency in order to coordinate road works so that disruption to the region’s traffic is minimised. The Tyne Tunnel closure will take place well before work starts at Allerdene Bridge on 25th July 2009.
Will the pedestrian and cycle tunnels be closed?
No. You will still be able to use the Pedestrian and Cycle tunnels while the vehicle tunnel is closed.
Will emergency vehicles be permitted to use the tunnel during this closure?
No. Unfortunately it is not possible to allow any vehicles to use the Tyne Tunnel while this work takes place, as it is not safe to do so. Furthermore, there will be cranes and other machinery located on the carriageway obstructing access to the tunnel. The emergency services have been notified of the closure and will make alternative transport arrangements.
Will buses be permitted to use the tunnel during this closure?
No. It is not possible to allow any vehicles to use the Tyne Tunnel while this work takes place, for safety reasons and due to limited space on the carriageway.
What diversions will be in place when the tunnel is closed?
There will not be a specific diversion in place due to the great variety of routes people take to and from the tunnel – it would be difficult to provide a simple diversion that could meet the range of needs of our customers.
Motorists will instead be advised to use either the A1 or the Tyne Bridge to cross the river. Traffic signs will be put up throughout the area to notify drivers.
Will the tunnel closure affect any locally planned public events?
No, we don’t expect this to be the case. We are working with local events organisers to help inform visitors about the tunnel closure in advance and to provide information about alternative ways of reaching events such as the Mouth of the Tyne Festival and the Great North 10k race. We hope that the tunnel closure will not affect anyone’s enjoyment of such events.
When was the Tyne Tunnel last closed to traffic?
The vehicle tunnel is sometimes closed for short periods of time, typically less than 30 minutes, during the night. This is so that maintenance work and cleaning can take place, or to accommodate the annual Tunnel 2K wheelchair race.
However a full tunnel closure of more than one hour has not taken place since 1999 when the tunnel was closed over five consecutive weekends so that the road deck could be resurfaced. We make every effort to ensure that the Tyne Tunnel is open for business 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
It sounds as though this will be a milestone in the construction of the new vehicle tunnel. Will you be publishing photos of the work that takes place?
These bridges at the south junction are one of the key parts of the project to take place above ground. Drivers using the Tyne Tunnel on Monday 13th July will get a much clearer idea of how the junction will look once complete.
Photographs of the road bridges being built will be made available online at www.newtynecrossing.info
Can I come and film or photograph the construction of the new road bridges?
No. We realise that you may wish to capture the construction of this milestone activity, but for safety reasons it is not possible to allow members of the public near the site for any reason while the construction work takes place. Project images will be published on the New Tyne Crossing website.