A granite Anniversary for the Queensway Tunnel

THE Queensway Tunnel has marked its 90th Anniversary and is celebrating with a series of free behind the scenes tours and new lighting systems. The route between:- Liverpool City Centre and Birkenhead took 9 years to build by hand and was the longest road tunnel in the world when it was opened by King George V, on:- 18 July 1934.

At 2.1 miles long, the original Mersey Tunnel remains an impressive feat of engineering and is currently undergoing an £11m upgrade to make it more energy efficient as the City Region strives towards its target to be net-zero by 2035.

The upgrade work will see the replacement of the 2 mile tunnel's 1970s electrical fittings with 230 new electricity distribution boards and more than 100,000 metres of power cabling to over 1,028 new LED lights, with a lifespan of 22 years. The new lighting will result in 60% reduction in the tunnel's carbon output each year amounting to 220, as well as savings on electricity costs, without any reduction in lighting quality.

Cllr Steve Foulkes, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee, shared:- "For 90 years, the Queensway Tunnel has been connecting both sides of the river and has formed a crucial part of our history, surviving a world war and coping with the surge of engine powered vehicles. It is a prime example of the benefits of devolution. Nearly 100 years ago, after lobbying and a refusal of central Government, the local authorities created a joint committee and built the tunnels; an incredible engineering feat that has hugely impacted on the City Region from a social and economic perspective since. The tunnel has played an important role in history and continues to be a core part of our infrastructure today. Everyone living in and around the City Region has memories of using the tunnel at some point in their lives, whether for work or to visit family or friends. It is also an essential form of travel for many businesses around the Region, and, crucially, for our bus services. With more than 35,000 vehicles passing through the tunnel each day, maintenance is a priority. Thousands of hours are spent each year, the majority of which overnight, carrying out a vital and rigorous inspection and maintenance routine. In recent years, the Tunnel has seen impressive upgrades including:- to lighting and road surfaces, which will enhance our journey towards Net Zero."

During the building process which began in 1925, 1,700 people worked in challenging conditions to build the tunnel; excavating 1.2 million tons of rock by hand and replacing it with 82,000 tons of cast iron and 270,000 tons of concrete.

17 men lost their lives during construction and are still honoured annually on Workers Memorial Day.

When the tunnel opened on:- 18 July 1934, a million people descended on the City Centre to watch the ceremony, which included:- 1,000 School children lining the streets dressed as flowers to form a human bouquet.

The only failure in engineering during the Tunnel's creation came on opening day; the curtain covering the entrance had to be lifted by hand as the crank mechanism failed!

Funded through the Liverpool City Region's:- 'City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement,' it will bring the Queensway Tunnel in line with the Kingsway:- 'Wallasey' Tunnel, which became more energy efficient thanks to completion of a similar upgrade back in June 2018.

This is part of an ongoing investment and modernisation programme to futureproof the tunnel will help City Region transport network to stay safe and will play a big part in Mayor Steve Rotheram's pledge to make the City Region net zero by 2035.

Cllr Steve Foulkes, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee said:- "The £11m lighting upgrade in the Queensway Tunnel is not only an important project for the on-going maintenance of the structure but is also a vital scheme in our pledge to make our City Region net zero by 2035. This year we are celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Queensway opening and these works are a testament to our on-going commitment to investment in an essential part of our City Region transport network. I'm delighted that we've made enough progress on the scheme to allow for an easing in the evening closures at the weekends. We'd like to thank tunnel users for their patience and understanding while these essential works are being carried out."

£11m lighting upgrade approaches its final stages and to help celebrate its Granite Anniversary, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority opened the doors to George's Dock Building, on:- Saturday, 20 July and Sunday, 21 July 2024, to offer visitors a free behind the scenes tour of the Queensway Tunnel.

Visitors had the the chance to learn more about the history of the Queensway Tunnel, including:- hearing more about the men and women who have been involved historically in construction and maintaining the Queensway, as well finding out how the Tunnel is maintained and managed today, taking its life expectancy far beyond the initial proposed 100 years.

Please note that the Queensway Tunnel will continue to be closed each night (except Friday and Saturday) between:- 9pm and 6:30am while the upgrade continues.

For more information on the Mersey Tunnels, please visit Mersey Tunnels website.

Liverpool welcomes £55m brownfield housing boost

LIVERPOOL'S Central Docks is earmarked to be transformed from a disused brownfield site into a state of the art neighbourhood. Liverpool City Council is set to receive a £55m investment boost from Homes England to accelerate the regeneration of Liverpool's historic Northern Docklands.

A report to the Council's Cabinet that was presented on:- Tuesday, 16 July 2024, has is recommended that the Council enters into an agreement with Homes England to accept Brownfield Infrastructure Land (BIL) grant funding.

The public funding relates to Central Docks, the largest neighbourhood within Liverpool Waters, and the City's largest brownfield site. The site, owned by waterside regeneration specialists Peel Waters, is projected to unlock more than £500m in private investment.

The Central Docks scheme includes the establishment of a public park and vital infrastructure to accommodate approximately 2,350 new homes.

The funding for this site, which is subject to final approval from HM Treasury, comes just a week after Rachel Reeves MP, referenced the scheme in her 1st speech as Chancellor of the Exchequer in which she set out the new Government's commitment to unlock stalled housing schemes.

The Central Docks scheme was also identified by the Liverpool Strategic Futures Panel, chaired by Mayor Steve Rotheram, and forms part of Liverpool's ambitious 20 year plan for the whole of its iconic waterfront.

Liverpool City Council has also made a similar brownfield site commitment in its draft housing strategy, currently subject to a public consultation, which supports the delivery of 2,000 new homes every year to 2030 and to double the number of affordable homes across the City.

Peel Waters has stated that the key infrastructure within the 10.5 hectare scheme, which would comprise of utilities, thoroughfares, green spaces, and public amenities, would lay the groundwork for future investments and the development of housing and commercial ventures would also support new community, retail and leisure facilities.

With full planning approval for the site preparation work, the comprehensive plans for Central Docks include:- the creation of an interconnected network of public spaces. The proposed new landscape will be enriched with the planting of hundreds of trees, with the centrepiece being:- 'Central Park,' a sprawling 2.1 hectare oasis, set to become 1 of the City's largest urban green spaces.

Central Park's design will celebrate the site's industrial heritage and coastal location, blending coastal and woodland plantations, wetlands, community gardens, and open parkland. Embracing inclusivity and sustainability, the park will feature amenities such as:- shelters, recreational facilities, and wildlife habitats, to be enjoyed by both residents and visitors.

The development will also significantly enhance connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists, with the aim of creating seamless open access between:- the City Centre, Princes Dock, Central Docks and Everton's new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock.

Leader of Liverpool City Council, Cllr Liam Robinson, said:- "This new funding from Homes England will help transform 1 of the country's major brownfield sites and act as a huge economic catalyst for north Liverpool. I was delighted to hear the new Chancellor cite Liverpool Waters as a key scheme in her 1st speech in the Treasury. Liverpool City Council stands ready to help deliver that mission to unlock our brownfield sites to kickstart a new era of house building. The Central Docks scheme has the potential to be a true flagship scheme of what can be achieved by a partnership between central and local Government and the private sector. A huge amount of work has gone into our draft waterfront plan and housing strategy and it's exciting to see such a key scheme getting ready to be delivered. Its success would mark a new decade of delivery this City deserves."

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "Britain is under new management and, in just a few days, we are already starting to see the difference. Working hand in hand with Government at a national, Regional and local level we can make an enormous difference and drive growth locally. The development of Central Docks, alongside the ongoing work to regenerate Bramley Moore and Bootle, has the potential to be a catalyst for growth and wider regeneration for great swathes of South Sefton and North Liverpool, creating jobs and attracting investment. The Central Docks site was identified in the Liverpool Strategic Advisory Panel's final report as a site for potential development. The £55m we've received is an enormous statement of intent; on top of the £31m we secured for the City back in March. I'd like to pay tribute to the late Sir Howard Bernstein for all the support and expertise he brought to the Panel's work."

Homes England Chief Executive, Peter Denton, said:- "I am beyond pleased to see continued progress at Central Docks as part of the City's clear vision to completely regenerate Liverpool Waters for the people it serves. The provision of funding and expertise, as part of a long-term partnership with the Council, the Mayor and the wider sector, is exactly what Homes England is here to do - supporting local places aiming to unlock the potential for change, growth and the creation of sustainable, vibrant communities."

Councillor Nick Small, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Development, said:- "Peel Waters' Central Docks scheme is hugely ambitious and will transform this historic disused dockland into an amazing new neighbourhood in keeping with our iconic waterfront. The creation of 2,350 new homes, with supporting community facilities, a new park, cycle lanes, green streets and rain gardens, as well as the new businesses it would attract, will be a phenomenal boost to the City's economy and environment. It would act as a beacon for what housing developments in this country in the 21st century can and should be."

Chris Capes, Director of Development for Peel Waters, commented:- "Central Docks will deliver thousands of new homes, alongside commercial, retail, leisure and community infrastructure and public spaces over the next 10 years. However, the practicalities of developing brownfield sites are always a challenge for investors and developers, and so innovation and partnerships are essential to drive forward the regeneration we all want to see. Investment in this critical infrastructure will help lever in at least 10times the amount in private sector funding, leading to the complete transformation of the Central Docks neighbourhood and the creation of an inclusive, distinctive and healthy new community."

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