Light at the end of the tunnel upgrade as weekend evening closures come to an end

• Queensway Tunnel set to reopen on Friday and Saturday evenings


• £11m lighting upgrade approaches the final stages


• New LED lights will reduce carbon output by more than 220 tonnes


• Upgrade supports Mayor Steve Rotheram’s target to be net zero by 2035

The Queensway tunnel is set to re-open later this month on Friday and Saturday nights, as the £11m lighting upgrade approaches its final stages.

The decision to reopen later this month has been taken earlier than expected following excellent progress installing new energy efficient LED lights, which is due to be completed later this year.

The change covers the two busiest nights of the week and will come into force on Friday 26 July, a week after the ‘Birkenhead’ Tunnel celebrates its 90th anniversary.

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 90^th 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.”

Existing lighting throughout the 2-mile tunnel is being replaced by an energy efficient LED system, with a lifespan of 25 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.

The work replaces 1970s fittings with 230 new electricity distribution boards and more than 100,000 metres of power cabling to over 1,028 new LED lights.

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 in June 2018. The Kingsway Tunnel remains open during this time.

This is part of an ongoing investment and modernisation programme to futureproof the tunnels as a key part of the city region transport network and a vital a cross-river travel option.

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