Tyne tunnel road closure revised

Dates for a vital road closure during the construction of the New Tyne crossing have been revised.

High Street in Jarrow was scheduled to close on 12 June but will now remain open until 21 June when it will close to traffic and pedestrians for about three weeks.

At the same time Salem Street in Jarrow will reopen to traffic, having been closed to allow construction works.

High Street will then also close to traffic so work can start there.

Dates remain the same for the closure of a small section of Chaytor Street in Jarrow which will be shut from 12 June to 20 June.

The main structure of the new tunnel, beneath Chaytor Street, has now been built enabling the design and build contractor to refill the trench above the tunnel with soil.

For these works to take place the temporary road bridge that currently carries Chaytor Street over the tunnel, located between Ferry Street and Commercial Road, must be dismantled.

Once backfilling has been completed the final carriageway can then be built, opening to traffic on the morning of 21 June.

The new tunnel is due to open in February 2011.