The best opportunity we have to experience the wonders of tunnel engineering is to drive through them. Here are five of the most impressive UK road tunnels.
When it comes to impressive civil engineering structures, bridges tend to hog the limelight, while tunnels can be somewhat left in the dark. This is hardly surprising, as bridges are simply more visible than their subterranean counterparts, and are often large, elegant and eye-catching structures.
However, tunnels are a huge part of the national infrastructure, with several massive scale projects completed or underway in the last few years, including the Thames Tideway Tunnel, Crossrail, and the various tunnels along the HS2 route.
Tunnels can serve many purposes, from transport links for road and rail, to sewerage systems, safe storage chambers, utility cabling, energy storage, and much more. Advanced methods of engineering mean that construction methods such as boring and tunnel lining can be increasingly automated, making the process safer and more efficient.
For most of us, the best opportunity we have to experience the wonders of tunnel engineering is to drive through them. Here are five of the most impressive tunnels you can drive through in the UK.
Penmaenbach Tunnel in Gwynedd, North Wales
Penmaenbach Tunnel is 658 metres long. It was blasted through the hillside and opened in 1989 to carry westbound traffic along the A55, which can get busy in tourist season and is also the main route from the Holyhead ferry terminal onwards to England.
The tunnel should not be confused with the nearby shorter Penmaenbach Headland Tunnel, which usually carries eastbound traffic only and was cut by hand into the rocky coastal cliff in 1932.
A55 Conwy Tunnel, Gwynedd
Staying in north Wales, you will soon encounter the A55 Conwy Tunnel, which is 1,060m and the longest road tunnel in Wales. It opened in 1991 and is the first immersed tube tunnel ever to be built in the UK.
Saltash Tunnel, Cornwall
Saltash Tunnel was built in 1988 and consists of three lanes for traffic. The central lane switches between direction of flow, reacting to traffic levels during peak times such as the rush hour or holiday season.
Queensway Tunnel, Merseyside
The Queensway Tunnel is 2,010m long and runs under the River Mersey to link Liverpool and Birkenhead. It opened in 1934, and is often referred to by locals as the Birkenhead Tunnel, or simply the ‘old tunnel’, to distinguish it from the newer Kingsway Tunnel under the Mersey.
The Queensway was originally built to ease congestion at the Mersey Ferry Terminal, and owing to size and shape there are now height and weight restrictions for vehicles, plus a small toll that goes towards the maintenance of the tunnel.
Tyne Tunnel, Tyneside
The Tyne Tunnel is a pair of 1,700m tunnels that run under the River Tyne in northeast England to connect the town of Jarrow with North Shields and Wallsend. They were originally opened in 1967 by Queen Elizabeth II and expanded in 2011 to cope with extra traffic demands.