The Kingsway Tunnel (or Wallasey Tunnel) is a
toll road tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube const ...
under the
River Mersey
The River Mersey () is 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 ...
between
Liverpool and
Wallasey
Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral P ...
. The tunnel carries the
A59. It was built because the
Queensway Tunnel – which was built in the 1930s to carry vehicles between
Birkenhead
Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) 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 south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverp ...
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
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Pla ...
for the tunnel's construction was promoted in 1967 with approval given in 1968, upon which construction started immediately.
Construction
The project was authorised by the Mersey Tunnel (Liverpool/Wallasey) etc. Act 1965.
Edmund Nuttall Limited. 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.
It was officially opened by
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
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.
Operations
Kingsway comprises identical twin tunnels. Each has two lanes. They carry on average 45,000 vehicles a day (almost 16.4million per year). , a single car journey through the tunnel currently costs £2. 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.
Over 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.
See also
*
Mersey Tunnels Police
References
External links
*
{{coord, 53.413, -3.010, region:GB_type:landmark_scale:5000_source:Google, display=title
Transport in Liverpool
Transport in Merseyside
Toll tunnels in the United Kingdom
Road tunnels in England
Tunnels completed in 1971
Tunnels in Merseyside
Tunnels in Liverpool