Tyne pedestrian and cycle tunnels revamp delayed again

The tunnels handle about 20,000 journeys a month

A £7m revamp of pedestrian and cycle tunnels under the River Tyne has been delayed for a fourth time.

The tunnels which connect Howdon, north of the river and Jarrow on the south, closed in May 2013 for major repairs.

They were only due to shut for a year, but the project has been hit by ongoing engineering and contractual problems.

The North East Combined Authority (NECA), which owns the two 900ft (274m) tunnels, said they would not now reopen before the autumn.

A spokesman for the NECA, which is made up of seven North East councils, said: "The project has continued to suffer setbacks. Many of the engineering problems we have encountered could not have been known at the outset.

"The tunnels are an extremely difficult and challenging environment and the work is incredibly complex. It was only when we stripped the tunnels back to their original shells that we could fully quantify the extent of corrosion, contamination and water ingress.

The tunnels were opened in 1951

"Issues with a key sub-contractor have also added to delays.

"One of our key aims before the project started was to use this once-in-a-generation opportunity to address issues whenever we encountered them. Otherwise we would have had to keep going back year after year, leading to partial closures and continued disruption.

"We are committed to opening the historic tunnels as soon as it possible as we know how important the tunnels are to the communities on both sides of the river."

The Grade II-listed structures opened in 1951 at a cost of £833,000 and included the UK's first purpose-built cycle tunnel.

The tunnels are used for about 20,000 journeys each month.

One of the features of the refurbishment is the replacement of two of the original wooden-step escalators with inclined lifts.

A free shuttle bus will continue to operate during the closure.