Topics > Transport and Travel > Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels

Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels


The Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels were opened to the people of Tyneside on 24th July 1951. These two purpose-built tunnels were designed to connect Howdon in North Tyneside with Jarrow in South Tyneside under the river Tyne. At a cost of £833,000, these 900 ft (274.5 m) long tunnels, which run parallel to each other, have been connecting the communities on the North and South banks of the river Tyne for [over] 60 years." (Source: Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums). The tunnels are Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England.

Tyne Cyclist and Pedestrian Tunnel was Britain's first purpose-built cycling tunnel. It runs under the River Tyne between Howdon and Jarrow, and was opened in 1951, heralded as a contribution to the Festival of Britain. The original cost was £833,000 and the tunnel was used by 20,000 people a day.

It actually consists of two tunnels running in parallel, one for pedestrian use with a diameter, and a larger diameter tunnel for pedal cyclists. Both tunnels are in length, and lie below the river bed. The tunnels are over 60 years old and are Grade II listed buildings.

At each end, the tunnels are connected to surface buildings by two escalators and a lift. The Waygood-Otis escalators have 306 wooden steps each, and are the original models from 1951. At the time of construction, they were the highest single-rise escalators in the UK, with a vertical rise of and a length of . In 1992. escalators with a higher vertical rise of and in length were constructed at Angel station on the London Underground. The Tyne Tunnel escalators remain the longest wooden escalators in the world.

In a refitting phase the escalators and lift shafts were due to be upgraded by October 2010 to early 2011 at a cost of £500,000. A £6,000,000 refurbishment was due to take place in 2011.

20,000 people a month use the pedestrian tunnel.

In 2005, The SoundEx filmed a music video to their song Street Freak in the tunnel. The band were permitted to close the cyclist tunnel for two days and use it free of charge to bring the tunnel publicity.

In 2012, contractor GB Building Solutions of Balliol Business Park, Newcastle, was appointed to carry out the £4.9 million refurbishment which will include the replacement of two of the original four escalators with inclined lifts and the replacement of the tunnels’ ageing mechanical and electrical systems.

The two remaining escalators, which are original and of historical significance, will be opened up to public view and illuminated with feature lighting.

New lighting, CCTV, control and communications systems will also be installed, in addition to carrying out repairs to the tunnel structure itself and to the historic finishes within the tunnel such as the tiling and panelling. The concrete floor sections are also to be refurbished or replaced, which will greatly improve the surfaces for cyclists and pedestrians.

Text from Wikipedia, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (accessed: 03/08/2016).
Visit the page: Tyne Tunnel for references and further details. You can contribute to this article on Wikipedia.
Transport and Travel Shields Ferry Tyne Tunnels River Tyne Howdon Grade II Listed Opening of Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels, 1951 Historic Buildings and Monuments in South Tyneside Cycling Jarrow The Ones That Got Away
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County boundary

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Twin tunnels

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Howdon up escalator

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Pedestrian tunnel

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Jarrow entrance

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Looking up the escalator

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Tunnel Sculptures

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Interior of one of the lift shafts during construction

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Tyne Tunnels Aerial View

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Start of excavation of cyclist tunnel

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Interior of tunnel with construction gang at work

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Mid point of tunnel with construction gang at work

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Linking the tunnels north - south

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Jarrow site, tunnel entrance

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Mid point of the completed cyclist tunnel

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Preparation of the Tyne Tunnels

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View of The Tunnel Interior

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Excavation of Entrance Tunnel

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Excavation of entrance tunnel

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Construction of escalators, supports in place

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Completed escalators

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Escalator shaft under construction

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Completed escalators

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Jarrow side, entrance building completed

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Shield chamber under construction

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Jarrow
  Co-Curate Page
Jarrow
- Overview About Jarrow Map Street View   Jarrow is a town in north-east England, located on the River Tyne. Historically part of County Durham, in 1974 it became part of …
Howdon
  Co-Curate Page
Howdon
- Overview About Howdon Map Street View   Howdon is a largely residential area in the eastern part of Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England, much of the High Howdon area of …
Cycling
  Co-Curate Page
Cycling
from http://www.tynepedestrianandc…
Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels
- Official Website of the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels

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Shields Ferry
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Shields Ferry
- Overview About Shields Ferry Map There have been ferries to cross the River Tyne since the 14th century, particularly where the river is deep and wider towards the mouth of …
from https://historicengland.org.u…
TYNE PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST TUNNEL - List Entry
- "....The Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels were constructed to provide access primarily for the large numbers of people who worked at the shipyards, lead and chemical works which lined the …

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from http://twsitelines.info/SMR/1…
Tyne and Wear HER(1799): Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels
- "Authorised by Act of Parliament in 1946 to provide a crossing of the river some six miles downstream of the town of Newcastle. Initially two small tunnels were constructed, of …

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from Geograph (geograph)
The Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels

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Information plaque, pedestrian and cyclist tyne tunnel

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Lift building, South side of Tyne pedestrian tunnel

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Cyclist and Pedestrian Tunnel

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Tyne Tunnel Pedestrian Escalator

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Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel

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Halfway under the River Tyne

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The Pedestrian Tunnel from Jarrow to Howdon

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Air Vent for the Tyne Tunnel

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Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel

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Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel South

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Tyne pedestrian and Cycle tunnel

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Tyne pedestrian and Cycle tunnel

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Tyne pedestrian and Cycle tunnel

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Tyne pedestrian and Cycle tunnel

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Tyne pedestrian and Cycle tunnel

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Tyne Tunnel Pedestrian/Cycle Way

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HDR. Stairs to freedom.

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HDR. WayGood - Otis esculator sign.

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HDR. Detailed shot of the wooden esculators (No. 141).

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HDR. Tunnel to wooden esculators & Tunnel to the lift.

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HDR. Pedestrian & Cyclists Sign.

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List number: 1380276
Tyne & Wear HER: 1799
List grade: 2
Borough: Newcastle
Grid ref: NZ3295365772

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