Further delay to tunnel’s opening
UNFORESEEN PROBLEMS AND CONTRACT ISSUES BLIGHT REFURB BID
THE pedestrian and cyclists Tyne Tunnel won’t reopen until autumn 2018, more than five years after work began.
Engineering conditions and contractual problems have continued to blight the refurbishment.
The North East Combined Authority (NECA) transport sub-committee confirmed on Friday that the tunnel between Jarrow and Howdon won’t reopen until autumn.
Work began on the refurbishment in May 2013 when the Grade II-listed tunnels were closed to the public.
Transport sub-committee chair Coun John Harrison said the project was far more complex than engineers expected when work began.
He said: “I know this news will be a disappointment to pedestrians and cyclists who regularly need to cross the river between Jarrow and Howdon.
“The project has continued to suffer setbacks. Many of the engineering problems we have encountered could not have been known at the outset.
“The tunnels are an extremely difficult and challenging environment and the work is incredibly complex. It was only when we stripped the tunnels back to their original shells that we could fully quantify the extent of corrosion, contamination and water ingress.
“Issues with a key sub-contractor have also added to delays.”
The upgrades are costing around £7m and involve a complete renovation of the tunnel and work to replace the old escalators which were, at one time, the longest in Europe.
The tunnel opened on July 24, 1951, and the event was part of the Festival Of Britain celebrations that year.
Coun Harrison moved to reassure residents that, once the work is done, the tunnel shouldn’t need to close again for repairs for many years.
He said: “One of our key aims before the project started was to use this once-in-a-generation opportunity to address issues whenever we encountered them. Otherwise we would have had to keep going back year after year, leading to partial closures and continued disruption.”