Queensway Tunnel

Last updated

Queensway Tunnel
Queensway Road Tunnel Entrance, Liverpool (geograph 2974781).jpg
The Liverpool entrance to the Queensway Tunnel
Overview
Location Merseyside, England
StatusActive
RouteQueens Way
Start Liverpool, Merseyside
End Birkenhead, Merseyside
Operation
Constructed1925–1934
Opened18 July 1934
Owner Merseytravel
TrafficAutomotive
Toll£2 for a car
Technical
No. of lanes 4 (2 northbound, 2 southbound)

The Queensway Tunnel is a road tunnel under the River Mersey, in the north west of England, between Liverpool and Birkenhead. Locally, it is often referred to as the "Birkenhead Tunnel" or "old tunnel", to distinguish it from the newer Kingsway Tunnel (1971), which serves Wallasey and the M53 motorway traffic. At 3.24 kilometres (2.01 mi) in length, it is the longest road tunnel in the UK.

Contents

History

George's Dock ventilation and control station, Pier Head Liverpool Queensway Tunnel ventilation tower and offices Pierhead.jpg
George's Dock ventilation and control station, Pier Head

The first tunnel under the River Mersey was for the Mersey Railway in 1886. The first tunnel crossing was proposed in 1825, and again in 1827. A report in 1830 rejected the road tunnel due to concerns about building damage.

During the 1920s there were concerns about the long queues of cars and lorries at the Mersey Ferry terminal, so once royal assent to a parliamentary bill was received, construction of the first Mersey road tunnel started in 1925, to a design by consulting engineer Sir Basil Mott. Mott supervised the construction in association with John Brodie, who, as City Engineer of Liverpool, had co-ordinated the feasibility studies made by consultant Engineers Mott, Hay and Anderson. The main contractor was Edmund Nuttall. [1] In 1928 the two pilot tunnels met to within less than 25 millimetres (1.0 in). Construction work continued, and in 1930 Brian Colquhoun was appointed Resident Engineer. [2] The tunnel opened in 1934. From 1933 to 1936 Colquhoun was redesignated Resident Engineer-in-Charge. [2]

The tunnel entrances, toll booths and ventilation building exteriors were designed by architect Herbert James Rowse, who is frequently but incorrectly credited with the whole civil engineering project. Their decoration is by Edmund Thompson. [3] These are Grade II listed buildings. More than 1.2 million tons of rock, gravel, and clay were excavated; some of it was used to build Otterspool Promenade. Of the 1,700 men who worked on the tunnel during the nine years of its construction, 17 were killed.

At the time of its opening it was the longest road tunnel in the world, a title it held for 14 years until the opening of the Vielha Tunnel in Catalonia, Spain, in 1948, though it remained the longest underwater tunnel as of 1955. [4] The tunnel, which cost a total of £8 million, was opened on 18 July 1934 by King George V; the opening ceremony was watched by 200,000 people. At the time it was known as the eighth wonder of the world. [5]

By the 1960s, traffic volume had increased, and, in 1971, the Kingsway Tunnel opened to relieve congestion.

Description

Toll booths at the Birkenhead entrance to the Queensway Tunnel Mersey Tunnel Toolbooths, Birkenhead - geograph.org.uk - 342189.jpg
Toll booths at the Birkenhead entrance to the Queensway Tunnel
One of the original Art Deco lamp pillars from Birkenhead, now the Monument to the Mersey Tunnel Queensway tunnel pylon in Birkenhead.JPG
One of the original Art Deco lamp pillars from Birkenhead, now the Monument to the Mersey Tunnel

The tunnel is 3.24 kilometres (2.01 mi) long. It contains a single carriageway of four lanes, two in each direction. A lower deck, originally intended as a tramway, is used for ventilation [6] [7] and emergency refuges. [5]

Different height restrictions apply to the nearside and offside lanes in each direction, because of the curvature of the tunnel. These are 3.9 metres (13 ft) and 4.75 metres (15.6 ft) respectively, and there is a 3.5 t weight limit for goods vehicles. All buses are required to use the offside lane, regardless of their height. Lane signals (consisting of an illuminated green arrow or red cross) are displayed at regular intervals, although in normal circumstances none of the lanes are currently used bidirectionally. This is in contrast to the Kingsway Tunnel, where lanes in toll concourse are alternated to prioritise higher traffic in one direction during peak hours.

The tunnel has two branches leading off the main tunnel to the dock areas on both sides of the river. The Birkenhead branch tunnel (known as the Rendel Street branch, or Dock Exit) was closed in 1965. When travelling in the Birkenhead direction, the branch can still be seen inside the tunnel on the right just before the left hand bend towards the Birkenhead exit. The exit of this branch can also be seen on the outside from Rendel Street near the junction with Marcus Street, just north of Cleveland Street in Birkenhead. This branch also carried two-way traffic, single lane each way. It was also controlled by traffic lights inside the tunnel. This branch mainly served Birkenhead docks and for people travelling to the Wirral resort of New Brighton. These are now best served by the Kingsway Tunnel. The Liverpool branch tunnel remains in use, in the exit direction only. It emerges opposite the Liver Building, next to the Atlantic Tower Hotel and Church of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas. Originally, it carried two-way traffic and the junction inside the tunnel was controlled by traffic lights, but this arrangement was discontinued to reduce the delays brought on by increasing traffic levels. Had it been built, the tunnel would have connected with the Liverpool urban motorway, the planned inner ring road.

The lighting inside the tunnel was updated in 1981 to replace the amber fluorescent tubes on the walls of the tunnel. The reason given for the change was that the old lighting was ineffective and inefficient. It also caused a flicker effect on vehicle windscreens, which could induce epileptic reactions in susceptible people.

The tunnel was closed for the day on 17 July 1994 and was used for pedestrians only to celebrate its 60th anniversary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3flGlLsSD1w

Tolls

An original tollbooth, now preserved in Liverpool Tunnel Tollbooth - geograph.org.uk - 1454533.jpg
An original tollbooth, now preserved in Liverpool

Tolls have been a feature of tunnel use since the Queensway Tunnel opened in 1934. Although residents were originally told tolls would be removed when debts were repaid, this position was dropped long ago. Debts and tolls were increased when the Kingsway Tunnel was built in 1971 to relieve congestion in the first tunnel. The County of Merseyside Act 1980 (c. x) enshrined in law the right to continue collecting tolls once the debts were repaid. The later Mersey Tunnels Act 2004 (c. ii) created a legal position where tolls charged must rise in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI) as published in November. [8]

Ventilation

As a roadway the tunnel requires ventilation to clear vehicle exhaust fumes. As originally designed the tunnel would have used forced air for ventilation; fumes and noxious gases were simply to be expelled through the tunnel exits. However, in an incident in the Liberty Tunnel in Pittsburgh in May 1924, inadequate ventilation led to a number of drivers being overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning, though there were no fatalities; this led the Queensway engineers to re-examine the issue and to conduct experiments in a completed section under Hamilton Square. Extractors were installed in the planned ventilation stations, adding to their size and complexity, and also adding considerably to the budget. [9]

The tunnel currently has six ventilation shafts, three on each side of the river. On the Wirral side the main shaft is at Woodside, with another (before the main exit) in Sidney Street, while the Dock Exit branch is served by the tower in Taylor Street. On the Liverpool side the main shaft is at the Pier head, in the George's Dock Building, with another (before the main exit) in North John Street, and the Strand Exit branch is served by the tower in Fazakerley Street. The Georges Dock Building also houses offices of the Tunnels Authority and of the Tunnels Police Force. All the ventilation buildings were designed by Herbert Rowse, chief architect for the Queensway tunnel exteriors, and all are Grade II listed.

Today

In April 2004 construction began on seven emergency refuges below the road deck, each capable of holding 180 people, as part of a £9 million project to bring the tunnel into line with the highest European safety standards. Each refuge is 21 metres (69 ft) long and 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide, accessible from the main tunnel walls. The refuges have fire resistant doors, ramps for wheelchair access, a supply of bottled water, a toilet, and a video link to the Mersey Tunnels Police control room. All seven refuges are linked by a walkway below the road surface, with exits at the Liverpool and Birkenhead ends.[ citation needed ]

In 2012 the tunnel was refurbished, with 5,999 added panels – ceramic steel cladding replacing the old plastic corrugated wall cladding to improve lighting and to give the tunnel a 21st century look. [10]

As of April 2022 the toll is £2 per journey [11] for a single passenger car of typical size, with progressively higher tolls for larger vehicles; solo motorcycles are free. [11] Average daily traffic through the tunnel currently stands at 35,000 vehicles, which equates to just under 12.8 million per year. [12]

Use in film

In September 2009, a scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 set in the Dartford Crossing was filmed in Queensway Tunnel, where Harry skips on a bus while on Hagrid's enchanted motorbike was filmed in the tunnel. [12] In 2012 the tunnel was used for the filming of a chase scene for Fast & Furious 6 . [13] In March 2018, the tunnel was used for the filming of Yesterday , directed by Danny Boyle. [14] The two main characters are frolicking in an empty tunnel when the bright yellow words "Hello Goodbye" are rolling through the tunnel. Also in 2018 the tunnel was a location for the BBC TV series The City and the City, where it served as the gateway between the two cities.

The Dubliners popularised the song "I Wish I Was Back in Liverpool", which includes a verse about the building of the Queensway Tunnel.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merseyside</span> County of England

Merseyside is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Welsh county of Flintshire across the Dee Estuary to the southwest, and the Irish Sea to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Mersey</span> Major river emptying into Liverpool Bay

The River Mersey is a major river in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part of the boundary between the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingsway Tunnel</span> Road tunnel under the River Mersey, England

The Kingsway Tunnel is a toll road tunnel under the River Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey. The 1.5 mi (2.4 km) tunnel carries the A59. It was built because the Queensway Tunnel – which was built in the 1930s to carry vehicles between Birkenhead and Liverpool – was unable to cope with the rise in postwar traffic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birkenhead</span> Town in Wirral, Merseyside, England

Birkenhead is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 88,818.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M53 motorway</span> Motorway in England

The M53 is an 18.9-mile (30.4 km) motorway in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside and the borough of Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire on the Wirral Peninsula in England. It is also referred to as the Mid Wirral Motorway. It runs between the Kingsway Tunnel, at Wallasey in the north, and the A55 at Chester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mersey Railway</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Mersey Railway was the first part of the passenger railway connecting the communities of Liverpool, Birkenhead, and now the rest of the Wirral Peninsula in England, which lie on opposite banks of the River Mersey, via the Mersey Railway Tunnel. The railway opened in 1886 with four stations using steam locomotives hauling unheated wooden carriages; in the next six years the line was extended and three more stations opened. Using the first tunnel under the Mersey, the line is the world's oldest underground railway outside London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seacombe</span> Human settlement in England

Seacombe is a district of the town of Wallasey, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Administratively, Seacombe is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside. Before local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974, it was part of the County Borough of Wallasey, within the geographical county of Cheshire. At the 2001 Census, the population of Seacombe was 15,158,, increasing to 15,387 at the Census 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morpeth Dock</span> Landlocked dock in Birkenhead, Wirral, England

Morpeth Dock is a dock at Birkenhead, Wirral Peninsula, England. The dock is situated between the River Mersey and Egerton Dock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wirral Railway</span> Former railway network in Wirral, England

The Wirral Railway was a railway network in the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula, England. Its route was from Birkenhead Park in the east of the Wirral to West Kirby in the west. A branch off this line at Bidston went north to Secombe and New Brighton. It was incorporated in 1863 as the Hoylake Railway, running from Hoylake to Birkenhead Docks. After changes of name and of ownership, it was purchased by the Wirral Railway Company Limited in 1884. The network was extended to West Kirby, New Brighton, and Seacombe, and to Birkenhead Park station where it joined the Mersey Railway, enabling through trains through the Mersey Railway Tunnel to Liverpool. In the 1923 grouping the Wirral company became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, which electrified the line in 1938, allowing passenger services to be integrated with the Liverpool urban system. Most of the Wirral Railway network is still in use today as part of the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail rail network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mersey Tunnels</span> Road and rail tunnels that connect Liverpool to Wirral under the River Mersey

The Mersey Tunnels connect the city of Liverpool with Wirral, under the River Mersey. There are three tunnels: the Mersey Railway Tunnel, and two road tunnels, the Queensway Tunnel and the Kingsway Tunnel. The railway tunnel and Queensway Tunnel connect central Liverpool with Birkenhead, while the Kingsway Tunnel runs to Wallasey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallasey</span> Town in Merseyside, England

Wallasey is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Cheshire, it is at the mouth of the River Mersey, on the north-eastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula. At the 2011 Census, the population was 60,284.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wirral Peninsula</span> Peninsula in North West England

The Wirral Peninsula, known locally as The Wirral, is a peninsula in North West England. The roughly rectangular peninsula is about 15 miles (24 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide, and is bounded by the Dee Estuary to the west, the Mersey Estuary to the east, and Liverpool Bay to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert James Rowse</span> English architect

Herbert James Rowse was an English architect. Born in Liverpool and a student of Charles Reilly at the Liverpool University School of Architecture, Rowse opened an architectural practice in the city. Although he designed major buildings for other cities, Rowse is best known for his work in Liverpool, including India Buildings, the entrances to and ventilation towers of the Mersey Tunnel ("Queensway"), and the Philharmonic Hall. He designed in a range of styles, from neoclassical to Art Deco, generally with a strong American influence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wirral line</span> Commuter rail route in Merseyside, England

The Wirral line is one of two commuter rail routes operated by Merseyrail and centred on Merseyside, England, the other being the Northern line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodside, Merseyside</span> Human settlement in England

Woodside is an area of Birkenhead in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is situated opposite Liverpool Pier Head across the River Mersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birkenhead Town railway station</span> Former railway station in Birkenhead, Wirral, England

Birkenhead Town railway station is a disused railway station in Birkenhead, Wirral, England. It was located near the current entrance to the Queensway Tunnel on Grange Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birkenhead Dock Branch</span> Disused rail line in Wirral, England

Birkenhead Dock Branch is a disused railway line running from the South junction of Rock Ferry, to the site of the former Bidston Dock on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The branch is approximately 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) in length. Although called a branch, the line was accessible from both ends, from Bidston East junction and from Rock Ferry railway station. The former Mollington Street Rail Depot was branched into the line. A section of the line runs through Haymarket Tunnel and a low-level cutting through the centre of Birkenhead; visible from the road flyovers. The former Canning Street North signal box has now been demolished following fire damage, and the rails across the level crossing there have been removed due to the provision of cycle lanes on the roadway. The non-standard gates remain on the east side, but a fence has been erected on the other side despite the railway being officially out of use, rather than closed. Level crossings are also located at Duke Street and Wallasey Bridge Road. The railway lines are still partially intact.

The Liverpool Marathon was a road race held in Liverpool, England, and its neighbouring borough Wirral founded 2011. It was seen as the successor to the Mersey Marathon which last took place in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monument to the Mersey Tunnel</span>

The Monument to the Mersey Tunnel stands in Chester Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, England, near the western entrance to the Queensway Tunnel, one of the two Mersey Tunnels carrying roads under the River Mersey between Liverpool and the Wirral. It consists of shaft with a light on the top, and originally had the dual purpose of being a monument and of illuminating the entrance to the tunnel. It was designed by Herbert James Rowse, and was one of a pair, but the monument that was on the Liverpool side of the River Mersey no longer exists. The monument is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George's Dock Building</span> Group of buildings in Liverpool, England

George's Dock Building is a Grade II listed building in Liverpool, England. It is located at the Pier Head on the city's waterfront. It is part of Liverpool's former UNESCO designated World Heritage Maritime Mercantile City. It was built in the 1930s in the Art Deco style, to the designs of architect Herbert Rowse. Occupants of the office space include, Merseytravel, The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Mersey Tunnels staff and The Mersey Tunnels Police. It also houses ventilation machinery for the Queensway Tunnel and the Mersey Tunnels Tour Offices.

References

  1. ↑ Elson, Peter (9 August 2007). "Sir Nicholas Nuttall". Liverpool Daily Post. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008.
  2. 1 2 "The Papers of Brian Colquhoun". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "Port Sunlight 2". Antiques Roadshow . Series 35. Episode 3. 21 October 2012. BBC . Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  4. ↑ Guinness World Records 2015 (British ed.). The Jim Pattison Group. p. 184. ISBN   978-1-908843-62-3.
  5. 1 2 Coslett, Paul (4 December 2006). "Queensway Tunnel: The Queensway Tunnel celebrates 75 years of operation this year with a special walk through". BBC. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  6. ↑ BBC News (19 July 2014). "Queensway tunnel's 80th anniversary celebrated". BBC News.
  7. ↑ Kimpton Energy Solutions (12 March 2020). "Work begins on the £3m Kingsway Tunnel Refurbishment" . Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  8. ↑ David Bartlett (10 January 2013) "Mersey Tunnels still owe £58m but tolls income is being used elsewhere" Liverpool Echo: Retrieved 6 December 2019
  9. ↑ Ian Jackson, Simon Pepper, Peter Richmond  Herbert Rowse, p46 (2019) Historic England ISBN   978-1-84802-549-3
  10. ↑ Weston, Alan (28 January 2012). "Artwork incorporated in Mersey Tunnel refurbishment". Liverpool Echo . Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Tolls, Fees and Charges". Mersey Tunnels. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  12. 1 2 Weston, Alan (4 December 2010). "Harry Potter film tour for Liverpool Queensway tunnel after Deathly Hallows filming". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  13. ↑ Miles, Tina (8 May 2013). "Liverpool gets Fast and Furious film location boost". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  14. ↑ Hughes, Lorna (24 June 2019). "You can't make a film about The Beatles without going to Liverpool". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 13 July 2019.

Further reading

53°24′03″N3°00′11″W / 53.4009°N 3.0031°W / 53.4009; -3.0031

Next tunnel upstream River Mersey Next tunnel downstream
Mersey Railway Tunnel Queensway Tunnel Kingsway Tunnel
Records
Preceded by
Col de Tende Road Tunnel
3.18 km (1.97 mi)
 World's longest road tunnel
1934-1948		Succeeded by
Vielha Tunnel
5.23 km (3.25 mi)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.