The Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels will be closed until Monday January 9 due to an issue with a lift.
The Grade II-listed tunnels, which connect Howdon on the north bank of the River Tyne with Jarrow on the south, were first opened in 1951. They closed in 2013 and remained so for six years, after a costly refurbishment project went £10m over budget and was hit by a number of setbacks.
One of those was the installation of two bespoke glass lifts, which was still unfinished in July 2022. Though the lifts have now been installed, a problem with them caused the tunnels to close on Saturday December 31 and Sunday January 1.
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And it has now been announced that the tunnels will remain off-limits to the public until Monday January 9. Commuters who use the tunnel will instead be able to use a free replacement bus service which will travel between Howdon and Jarrow between the hours of 6am and 10pm each day, with a trailer for those who cycle.
A statement on the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels website read: "Due to a fault with the North side vertical lift, the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels are currently closed to all users. We are working closely with the engineers to ensure a resolution is reached as soon as possible so that the lift can be brought back into operation.
"A replacement bus service will operate during the closure from 6am until 10pm each day. The free service will run regularly between Howdon and Jarrow, and will operate with a bike trailer to assist tunnel users.
"Members of the public should check the website before embarking on a journey and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. A bus replacement timetable is available online at www.tynepedestrianandcyclisttunnels.co.uk."
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