A decade of delays - but were finally getting there
TUNNEL COULD OPEN BY NEXT APRIL
WORK is almost complete on the trouble-torn pedestrian Tyne Tunnel - after a decade of delays
In a saga spanning 10 years, the effort to revamp and reopen the historic route has been beset by problems and the budget has spiralled from £4m to a projected final cost of somewhere nearer £16m.
But engineers are confident the work is nearly finished and it should open by April.
It’s something to look forward to in 2019 for residents who have been deprived of the route since 2011.
The Chronicle took a tour of the tunnel to see how work was progressing.
The new inclined lift, replacing the wooden escalators, is partially installed and, save for some cosmetic work, everything is on track.
Project manager Stuart Turnbull said: “We’re 90% of the way there.
“We’ve got about 10 weeks worth of work left and then it’s all just about putting the final touches on it and testing everything.
“We’re very hopeful it will be open by April.”
Italian and French contractors have been on site to install an inclined glass lift, the most visible change visitors will see when it reopens.
The ‘box on wheels’ will transport pedestrians and cyclists down the steep slopes parallel to the historic wooden escalators (which are still to this day the longest in the world).
There’s still some tiling and electrical work to do and the whole thing needs to be cleaned by hand but, after a long slog and a substantial dose of bad luck, the end is in sight.
Chief engineer Alistair Swan said: “The irony is that people will come down here and say ‘nothing has changed, what took so long?’
“But that would be a success for us: It’s a listed structure and we’ve painstakingly retained all the original features.
“It’s been beautifully restored but it will be lighter, safer and just generally more pleasant than it was before it closed.”
Built in the late 1940s and opened in 1951, the grade II listed tunnel is truly an engineering marvel.
Workers risked the bends grafting in compressed air chambers to bore two separate tunnels beneath the Tyne.
At its peak, thousands of shipyard workers would use the route every day to walk or cycle between Howdon and Jarrow.
The first major hitch came when the main contractors, GB Building Solutions, went into administration in 2012.
Asbestos contaminated the whole tunnel when workers left the site and another major contractor associated with the project went bust in spring due to its ties with failed construction giant Carillion.
Some consideration was given to closing it permanently because of the setbacks but the North East Combined Authority took the work in-house in 2015.
Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon said: “Sadly, we’ve hit several engineering and contractual issues with this refurbishment project and it’s very unfortunate that we had these snags.
“As we’ve said previously, the tunnels by their very nature are a difficult and challenging engineering environment.
“We all know how important the tunnels are and I can assure people across our region that everybody involved in the works and this major overhaul is committed to their re-opening.”