Kingsway Tunnel Explained

Kingsway Tunnel
Route: road
Location:Merseyside, England
Status:Active
Start:Liverpool, Merseyside
End:Wallasey, Merseyside
Opened:Southern portal: 24 June 1971
Northern portal: 13 February 1974
Owner:Merseytravel
Traffic:Automotive
Toll:£2.10 a car (£1.40 for LCR fast-tag)[1]
Construction:1968–1973
Lanes:4 (2 in eastbound, 2 westbound)

The Kingsway Tunnel (or Wallasey Tunnel) is a toll road tunnel under the River Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey. The 1.5miles 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.

History

Annual vehicle usage of the Queensway Tunnel had exceeded 11 million by 1959, causing severe traffic congestion at peak commute times, partially as a result of low toll costs. It was evident that a significant capacity increase was required, with considerations on various bridge and tunnel schemes ultimately concluding with a second tunnel as the favoured option, funded by tolls. In 1965, parliamentary powers granted construction of a new two-lane tunnel, approximately 1 mile downstream from the existing tunnel. A further bill for the tunnel's construction was promoted in 1967 with approval given in 1968, upon which construction started immediately.[2]

Construction

Short Title:Mersey Tunnel (Liverpool/Wallasey) &c. Act 1965
Type:Act
Parliament:Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long Title:An Act to authorise the construction of a tunnel under the river Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey, approaches to such tunnel and street works in connection therewith; to confer further powers on the lord mayor, aldermen and citizens of the city of Liverpool and the mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the county borough of Wallasey; to reconstitute the Mersey Tunnel Joint Committee; and for other purposes.
Year:1965
Citation:1965 c. xl
Royal Assent:5 August 1965
Status:amended
Original Text:https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/1965/40/pdfs/ukla_19650040_en.pdf
Collapsed:yes
Short Title:Mersey Tunnel (Liverpool/Wallasey) Act 1968
Type:Act
Parliament:Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long Title:An Act to authorise the construction of a tunnel under the river Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey; and for other purposes.
Year:1968
Citation:1968 c. xii
Royal Assent:30 May 1968
Status:amended
Original Text:https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/1968/12/pdfs/ukla_19680012_en.pdf
Collapsed:yes

The project was authorised by the Mersey Tunnel (Liverpool/Wallasey) &c. Act 1965 (c. xl). Edmund Nuttall Limited.[3] Construction took around five years to fully complete. The approach to the tunnel on the Wirral side uses the former railway cutting that carried the Seacombe branch line.[4] It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 24 June 1971. At first, only the southernmost tunnel was open for traffic, one lane in each direction. The northernmost tunnel was completed in 1974 and opened to traffic on 13 February 1974.

Mersey Tunnel 10k

There is an annual 10k run that passes through the Kingsway Tunnel, starting in Liverpool city centre with the finish line in New Brighton. This is the only time during the year when one can travel through the tunnel on foot. In 2024, more than 2,000 people registered to take part in the event.[5]

Operations

Kingsway comprises identical twin tunnels. Each has two 12feet lanes. They carry on average 45,000 vehicles a day (almost 16.4million per year).[6], a single car journey through the tunnel cost £2.10[7] Staffed and automatic tollbooths are located on the Wallasey side. Of the two tunnels crossing the River Mersey, Kingsway is the only one able to take heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

In a study following the fire in the Mont Blanc Tunnel in 1999, inspectors from the European Union rated the Kingsway Tunnel as "good", one of fourteen to receive that rating in Europe.[8]

Over 75miles of wiring was installed in the tunnel as part of a 2016 upgrade to the lighting, which saw the tunnel fitted with more energy efficient and longer-lasting LED lights.[9]

See also

External links

53.413°N -3.01°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tolls, Fees and Charges. Mersey Tunnels. 1 May 2024.
  2. Web site: Merseytravel Report on Mersey Tunnels Historical Legislation Overview . . tunnelusers.org.uk . 18 September 2015 . 16 October 2021.
  3. http://jisc.iceknowledge.com/ArticleView.aspx?doi=10.1680/iicep.1972.5829 ICE Virtual Tour
  4. Web site: Mersey Tunnel Users Association – History . Tunnel Users . 12 April 2017.
  5. Web site: 2024-04-11 . Thousands set to run Mersey Tunnel 10K this weekend . 2024-04-13 . Wirral Globe . en.
  6. Web site: Mersey Crossing Study – The Mersey Gateway Project. Mersey Gateway. 29 September 2014.
  7. Web site: Tolls, Fees and Charges. Mersey Tunnels. 1 May 2024.
  8. Web site: The European Tunnel Assessment Programme (EUROTAP) 2005 Inspections . The AA. 29 September 2014.
  9. Web site: Major Kingsway Tunnel rewire begins. www.merseytravel.gov.uk. 22 December 2017. en.