Tyne Tunnels

There were calls to build a bridge between North and South Shields going back to before the 1900s, but these were not acted on because the river was a busy shipping route. The 2nd World War delayed plans drawn up in 1937 by Durham and Northumberland County Councils for a scheme to build three tunnels under the Tyne: a pedestrian tunnel; a cyclist tunnel; and a vehicle tunnel. The Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels were comleted in 1951 but work on the vehicle Tyne Tunnel did not start until 1961 because of financial and legal issues. The first Tyne Tunnel was opened in 1967. To cater for increasing volumes of traffic a second tunnel was planned and completed in February 2011 along with a refurbishment of the original tunnel, which was finished in November 2011. (TT2 Website)