Gridlock alert on new Tyne Tunnel

Jun 13 2008 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

THE benefits of opening the new Tyne Tunnel could be lost unless the Highways Agency agrees to bring forward an essential upgrading of the Silverlink roundabout.

North Tyneside’s elected mayor John Harrison has urged spending chiefs at the Agency to rethink plans which would see work start on the upgrade only after 2016, at least five years after the second Tyne Tunnel is due to open.

But the Agency has insisted the £70m needed for improvements to the junction of the A19 and the A1058 cannot be brought forward, leaving North Tyneside leaders with the prospect of a new tunnel bringing more motorists into the borough – only for them to struggle on an increasingly congested route.

Mr Harrison has warned the Agency it is jeopardising the region’s economic growth by refusing to consider changes to the gridlocked route which links the Coast Road to the A19. He has now launched a petition which he hopes will attract enough support to force highways bosses to change their mind.

The council has claimed the roundabout sometimes handles 55,000 vehicles in a 12-hour period, although Highways Agency figures suggest the number of cars passing through could be several thousand lower.

Mr Harrison said the city region’s “future economic success will be put at risk if we cannot provide the transport networks both employers and employees need and expect”.

He added: “When the planning application for Silverlink retail park was submitted in 1986, North Tyneside Council warned that this would cause havoc for traffic and recommended refusal of the application, yet the Government granted it on appeal. Twenty-two years later, it is evident that those concerns have been demonstrated, as Silverlink has become a significant traffic destination.

“Now motorists and our residents are suffering the consequences that could turn investors away from our borough.”

Mr Harrison said the investment would help reduce accidents on the route, which has seen 142 casualties in the last five years.

His calls for the “vital” improvements have already won the support of the North East Chamber of Commerce.

Rachel Spence, head of member relations at the NECC, said: “These improvements are integral to the development of North Tyneside and the nearby business park. The area has seen significant growth in recent years and with the opening of the new Tyne Tunnel, we need a road network able to respond to the challenges and opportunities this will bring.

“This is not a ‘do nothing’ situation and we need to take action on this matter to provide a road network capable of dealing with the increased volume of traffic and able to support the region’s growth.”

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said the timeline for Silverlink improvements had been agreed by members of the Interim Regional Transport Board, of which Mr Harrison is a member.

The board is responsible for setting transport priorities but its members have repeatedly called for the Government to increase funding available to them, claiming a limited budget has left their hands tied.

The spokesman said: “The Highways Agency is working on a scheme to upgrade the Coast Road junction. The start of this is likely to be after the second Tyne Tunnel is completed. This is due to the way the funding priorities for the Coast Road scheme fall within the regional funding allocation.”