Editing Queensway Tunnel (section)

==History==
===Planning and construction===
The first tunnel under the [[River Mersey]] was for the [[Mersey Railway]] in 1886. The first tunnel crossing was proposed in 1825, and again in 1827. A report in 1830 rejected the road tunnel due to concerns about building damage.

During the 1920s there were concerns about the long queues of cars and lorries at the [[Mersey Ferry]] terminal, so once [[royal assent]] to a parliamentary bill was received, construction of the first Mersey road tunnel started in 1925, to a design by consulting engineer Sir [[Basil Mott]]. Mott supervised the construction in association with [[John Alexander Brodie|John Brodie]], who, as City Engineer of Liverpool, had co-ordinated the feasibility studies made by consultant Engineers Mott, Hay and Anderson. The [[General contractor|main contractor]] was [[Edmund Nuttall Limited|Edmund Nuttall]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/views/obituaries/2007/08/09/sir-nicholas-nuttall-64375-19597612/|title=Sir Nicholas Nuttall|work=Liverpool Daily Post|date=9 August 2007|first=Peter|last=Elson|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123014743/http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/views/obituaries/2007/08/09/sir-nicholas-nuttall-64375-19597612/|archive-date=23 November 2008|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 1928 the two pilot tunnels met to within less than {{convert|25|mm|1}}. Construction work continued, and in 1930 Brian Colquhoun was appointed Resident Engineer.<ref name=BC>{{cite web |url = https://archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk/repositories/9/resources/1497 |title = The Papers of Brian Colquhoun |author= |year= |publisher = University of Cambridge |location= |page= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date = 8 November 2023 |quote= }}</ref> From 1933 to 1936 Colquhoun was redesignated ''Resident Engineer-in-Charge''.<ref name=BC/>

More than 1.2&nbsp;million tons of rock, gravel, and clay were excavated; some of it was used to build [[Otterspool Promenade]]. Of the 1,700&nbsp;men who worked on the tunnel during the nine years of its construction, 17 were killed.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/17-deaths-250-tonnes-explosive-13696923 |publisher=Liverpool Echo |title=17 deaths and 250 tonnes of explosive: The real story behind Merseyside's tunnels |author=Lorna Hughes |date=6 October 2017 |access-date=4 May 2025}}</ref>

===Opening===
At the time of its opening in 1934, it was the longest road tunnel in the world, a title it held for 14&nbsp;years until the opening of the [[Vielha Tunnel]] in [[Catalonia]], Spain, in 1948, though it remained the longest underwater tunnel as of 1955.<ref>{{cite book|title=Guinness World Records 2015|date=September 2014 |publisher=The Jim Pattison Group|isbn=978-1-908843-62-3|page=184|edition=British}}</ref> The tunnel, which cost a total of £8&nbsp;million, was opened on 18&nbsp;July 1934 by [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]]; the opening ceremony was watched by 200,000&nbsp;people. At the time it was known as the eighth wonder of the world.<ref name=coslett>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/articles/2006/12/04/local_history_queensway_tunnel_feature.shtml|first=Paul|last=Coslett|title=Queensway Tunnel: The Queensway Tunnel celebrates 75 years of operation this year with a special walk through |publisher=BBC|date=4 December 2006|access-date=24 April 2016}}</ref>

===Operation===
[[Image:Liverpool Queensway Tunnel ventilation tower and offices Pierhead.jpg|thumb|[[George's Dock Building|George's Dock ventilation and control station]], Pier Head]]
By the 1960s, traffic volume had increased, and, in 1971, the [[Kingsway Tunnel]] opened to relieve congestion.

In 1984, the lighting system underwent a major upgrade to improve visibility and safety, as the low light levels were contributing to an increased risk of accidents. The outdated wall-mounted lights were replaced with modern overhead fixtures. Rather than using traditional scaffolding, double-decker buses were purchased and modified by removing their roofs, allowing workers to move easily along the tunnel's length. These buses also provided on-board toilet and catering facilities. The £1 million scheme also included re-cladding and a repaint of the tunnel. The upgraded lighting was officially switched on in June 1984.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/171562187/ |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |title=Brighter lights go up in Queensway Tunnel |page=14 |date=13 June 1984}}</ref> Alongside the lighting upgrade were also resurfacing works, costing around £500,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/171679008/ |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |title=Brighter tunnel lies ahead... |page=2 |date=27 August 1982}}</ref> On 17 July 1994, the tunnel was closed for the day and was used for pedestrians only to celebrate its 60th anniversary.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/171561118/ |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |title=Queensway Tunnel Diamond Jubilee: Traffic and Transport Information |page=26 |date=15 July 1994}}</ref> Official estimates put the number of people walking through the tunnel in excess of 20,000, while a concert in the tunnel had to be abandoned due to fears of crushing.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-post-merseyside-ed/171561286/ |newspaper=Daily Post |title=Human Traffic Jam |page=1 |date=18 July 1994}}</ref>

In April 2004 construction began on seven emergency refuges below the road deck, each capable of holding 180 people, as part of a £9 million project to bring the tunnel into line with the highest European safety standards. Each refuge is {{convert|21|m}} long and {{convert|3|m}} wide, accessible from the main tunnel walls. The refuges have fire resistant doors, ramps for wheelchair access, a supply of bottled water, a toilet, and a video link to the [[Mersey Tunnels Police]] control room. All seven refuges are linked by a walkway below the road surface, with exits at the Liverpool and Birkenhead ends.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}}

In 2012 the tunnel was refurbished, with 5,999 added panels &ndash; ceramic steel cladding replacing the old plastic corrugated wall cladding to improve lighting and to give the tunnel a 21st century look.<ref>{{cite news|first=Alan|last=Weston|title=Artwork incorporated in Mersey Tunnel refurbishment|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/artwork-incorporated-mersey-tunnel-refurbishment-3356267|access-date=19 July 2014|newspaper=[[Liverpool Echo]]|date=28 Jan 2012}}</ref>