Asbestos Removed From Historic Tyne Tunnels Ahead Of Reopening

1. Asbestos Removed From Historic Tyne Tunnels Ahead Of Reopening The Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels – which opened in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain – are finally set to reopen following a £16 million renovation project, including Asbestos Removal. The discovery of tiny fibres of the lethal substance delayed the completion of the revamp, but the tunnels are now expected to reopen later in the spring or early summer, six years after their closure. A significant landmark of Tyneside heritage As their name implies, the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels are a historic crossing running under the River Tyne, and consist of separate routes for pedestrians and cyclists. The tunnels run some 900 feet (274 metres), and connect Howdon in North Tyneside with Jarrow on the south side of the river. They are also known for their green and cream tiles, and were the first in the UK to be purpose-built for both pedestrians and cyclists.

2. At the time of the tunnels’ opening, the wooden escalators that took people from the surface down to the tunnels and back up again were the worlds longest. At the river’s mid-point, the historic boundary between County Durham and Northumberland is marked in tiles on the walls. An average of about 20,000 people once walked or rode through the tunnels every day during an era in which most of the workers employed in shipyards on both sides of the Tyne would not have had cars. However, by the mid-2000s, the tunnels were showing their age, with water coming through the tiles, the escalators often breaking down and the inadequate lighting deterring people from using the routes. Work on overhauling the Grade II- listed tunnels finally commenced in May 2013. For more information visit our website: www.tridentsurveying.co.uk