Editing Kingsway Tunnel

{{Short description|Road tunnel under the River Mersey, England}}
{{about|the road tunnel in Merseyside|other uses|Kingsway Tunnel (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2012}}
{{Infobox tunnel
|name        = Kingsway Tunnel
|image       = Wallasey entrance to Kingsway Tunnel (1).JPG
|image_size  = 260px
|caption     = Tunnel entrance in Wallasey
|route       = {{jct|country=GBR|A|59|name1= }} road
|location    = [[Merseyside]], England
|coordinates =
|status      = Active
|start       = [[Liverpool]], [[Merseyside]]
|end         = [[Wallasey]], Merseyside
|opened      = Southern portal: 24 June 1971<br/>Northern portal:  13 February 1974
|close       =
|owner       = [[Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive|Merseytravel]]
|operator    =
|traffic     = Automotive
|toll        = £2.10 a car (£1.40 for LCR fast-tag)<ref name="toll">{{cite web|url= https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/tunnels/tolls-fees-and-charges/ |title=Tolls, Fees and Charges|work=Mersey Tunnels|access-date=1 May 2024}}</ref>
|character   =
|construction = 1968–1973
|speed       =
|lanes       = 4 (2 in eastbound, 2 westbound)
|hielevation =
|lowelevation=
|height      =
|grade       =
}}
[[File:Kingsway Tunnel - Wallasey to Liverpool.webm|thumb|250px|Video of a journey through the tunnel]]
The '''Kingsway Tunnel''' ([[Road signs in the United Kingdom|signposted]] as the '''Wallasey Tunnel''' or '''W'sey Tunnel''') is a [[toll road]] [[tunnel]] under the [[River Mersey]] between [[Liverpool]] and [[Wallasey]]. It was built because the existing [[Queensway Tunnel]] was unable to cope with the rise in [[Post-war Britain (1945–1979)|postwar]] traffic. The {{convert|1.5|mi|abbr=on}} tunnel carries the [[A59 road|A59]]. Locally, it is often referred to as the "new tunnel", to distinguish it from the older [[Queensway Tunnel]] (1934), which serves [[Birkenhead]] and carries [[Transport in Liverpool|public transport services]].

==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 (law)|bill]] for the tunnel's construction was promoted in 1967 with approval given in 1968, upon which construction started immediately.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tunnelusers.org.uk/TollsTaskGroup7jan2016LegalContextOverview.pdf |title=Merseytravel Report on Mersey Tunnels Historical Legislation Overview |work=[[Pinsent Masons]] |via=tunnelusers.org.uk |date=18 September 2015 |access-date=16 October 2021}}</ref>

===Construction{{anchor|Mersey Tunnel (Liverpool/Wallasey) &c. Act 1965|Mersey Tunnel (Liverpool/Wallasey) Act 1968}}===
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Mersey Tunnel (Liverpool/Wallasey) &c. Act 1965
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to authorise the construction of a tunnel under the river Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey, approaches to such tunnel and street works in connection therewith; to confer further powers on the lord mayor, aldermen and citizens of the city of Liverpool and the mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the county borough of Wallasey; to reconstitute the Mersey Tunnel Joint Committee; and for other purposes.
| year                  = 1965
| citation              = [[List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1965|1965]] c. xl
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 5 August 1965
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = {{ubli|[[County of Merseyside Act 1980]]|[[Mersey Tunnels Order 1986]] (SI 1986/297)}}
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = amended
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/1965/40/pdfs/ukla_19650040_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Mersey Tunnel (Liverpool/Wallasey) Act 1968
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to authorise the construction of a tunnel under the river Mersey between Liverpool and Wallasey; and for other purposes.
| year                  = 1968
| citation              = [[List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1968|1968]] c. xii
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 30 May 1968
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = {{ubli|[[County of Merseyside Act 1980]]|[[Mersey Tunnels Order 1986]] (SI 1986/297)}}
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = amended
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/1968/12/pdfs/ukla_19680012_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
The project was authorised by the Mersey Tunnel (Liverpool/Wallasey) &c. Act 1965 (c. xl). [[BAM Nuttall|Edmund Nuttall Limited]].<ref>[http://jisc.iceknowledge.com/ArticleView.aspx?doi=10.1680/iicep.1972.5829 ICE Virtual Tour]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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 railway station|Seacombe branch line]].<ref name="tunnelusers">{{cite web |url=http://www.tunnelusers.org.uk/history.htm |title=Mersey Tunnel Users Association – History |work=Tunnel Users |access-date=12 April 2017}}</ref> It was officially opened by [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] 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.

=== Mersey Tunnel 10k ===
There is an annual [[10K run|10k run]] that passes through the Kingsway Tunnel, starting in Liverpool city centre with the finish line in [[New Brighton, Merseyside|New Brighton]]. This is the only time during the year when one can travel through the tunnel on foot. In 2024, more than 2,000 people registered to take part in the event.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-11 |title=Thousands set to run Mersey Tunnel 10K this weekend |url=https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/24244645.thousands-set-run-mersey-tunnel-10k-weekend/ |access-date=2024-04-13 |website=Wirral Globe |language=en}}</ref>

==Operations==
Kingsway comprises identical twin tunnels. Each has two {{convert|12|ft|m|abbr=on}} lanes. They carry on average 45,000 vehicles a day (almost 16.4 million per year).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merseygateway.co.uk/publicinquirydocs/Core-docs/CD-203.pdf|title= Mersey Crossing Study – The Mersey Gateway Project|publisher=Mersey Gateway|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> {{As of|May 2024}}, a single car journey through the tunnel cost £2.10.<ref name="toll">{{cite web|url= https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/tunnels/tolls-fees-and-charges/ |title=Tolls, Fees and Charges|work=Mersey Tunnels|access-date=1 May 2024}}</ref> 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 [[large goods vehicle|heavy goods vehicles]] (HGVs).

In a study following the [[Mont Blanc tunnel fire|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theaa.com/public_affairs/reports/tunnel_tests_2005.pdf|title=The European Tunnel Assessment Programme (EUROTAP) 2005 Inspections |publisher=The AA|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref>

Over {{convert|75|mi|-1}} 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Major Kingsway Tunnel rewire begins|url=http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/about-us/media-centre/news/Pages/Major-Kingsway-Tunnel-rewire-begins.aspx|website=merseytravel.gov.uk|access-date=22 December 2017|language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Mersey Tunnels Police]]

==References==
{{reflist|35em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Kingsway Tunnel}}
*{{Official website|http://www.merseytunnels.co.uk/}}

{{River item box
|River = [[River Mersey]]
|upstream = [[Queensway Tunnel]]
|upsub =
|downstream = [[Liverpool Bay]]
|downsub =
|type = crossing
|location = }}

{{Liverpool B&S}}
{{Transport in Merseyside}}

{{coord|53.413|-3.010|region:GB_type:landmark_scale:5000_source:Google|display=title}}

[[Category:Transport in Liverpool]]
[[Category:Transport in Merseyside]]
[[Category:Toll tunnels in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Road tunnels in England]]
[[Category:Tunnels completed in 1971]]
[[Category:Tunnels in Merseyside]]
[[Category:Tunnels in Liverpool]]