Disruption coming to Tyne Tunnel over 36 weekends

Drivers are being warned of disruption as work takes place on the Tyne Tunnel.

The northbound Tyne Tunnel is set to be closed on 36 weekends for scheduled maintenance to "ensure the longevity of the tunnels for generations to come".

Operators TT2 say that to cause minimum disruption to users during its busiest times, both tunnels will remain open as usual from Monday to Friday.

On the weekends when maintenance is being carried out on the 57 year-old northbound tunnel, drivers will cross the Tyne using the newer southbound tunnel, which will have a single lane each for north and south travelling vehicles.

Maintenance begins on Friday, May 3 for one weekend of initial work, then start again on Friday, June 7. Work is scheduled for completion on Monday, March 3, 2025.

May is also the month when a price increase to use the Tyne Tunnel comes into play.

Exceptions, when both tunnels open normally, are the Great North Run weekend (Sunday, September 8) and three weekends across the Christmas period.

Closures will begin at 8pm on the Friday of each scheduled weekend with normal operation resuming on the following Monday at 6am.

TT2, was appointed by the local authorities that own the Tyne Tunnel to manage the toll road in 2007; during the construction of the second tunnel and the refurbishment of the first.

This management contract is now halfway through its 30-year term and "significant periodic maintenance is required".

The agreed programme of works is to prepare for the tunnels to be handed back to the local authorities in 2037.

Chief executive officer at TT2, Adrian Wallace, said: “We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused by what is essential maintenance that will ensure that the tunnels continue to serve our region safely and efficiently for many years to come.

“The programme of maintenance has been phased as a series of weekend closures, intended to minimise disruption to travelling public when other similar scale works are being undertaken across the region.

“Weekday customers should not see any impact on travel times but traffic may be heavier than usual when travelling at peak times on Saturdays and Sundays.

“We are investing heavily in a major communications campaign to let people know about the partial closure periods in advance and help minimise disruption throughout.”