by Hannah Warder

When you go on holiday this summer, you may find that your route takes you through one of the many road tunnels in Britain. One minute you’re in sunlight, and the next you are moving along in a tunnel with an orange glow. From Cornwall to Clyde, there are plenty of tunnels to find. Make sure to read up on road information and any special tunnel safety advice before you set off.

Saltash Tunnel, Cornwall

Although the Saltash Tunnel isn’t one of the longest, it does have the excitement of being followed by a bridge. The 410m tunnel, opened in 1988, leads to the Tamar Bridge which goes between Devon and Cornwall. There are three lanes; one of these is reversible for when there is a high amount of traffic heading one direction[1].

Mersey Tunnels, Merseyside

There are three tunnels classified as Mersey Tunnels, although only two of these are for car use. The Kingsway Tunnel connects Liverpool with Wallasey, while the Queensway Tunnel runs from Liverpool to Birkenhead. These roads stretch from Liverpool to the Wirral Peninsula under the River Mersey[2].

Clyde Tunnel, Glasgow

The Clyde Tunnel is essential for traffic flow for Glasgow and the West of Scotland. There are actually two tunnels of 762 metres: one going northbound, and one going southbound. Each tunnel has a cycle lane and pedestrian pathway, and in total there are about 65,000 vehicles travelling through them each day[3].

Tyne Tunnel, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

The Tyne Tunnel will be seeing some changes in the next couple of years. A new tunnel has been in the progress of being built during the past few years, and is expected to open in 2011. When this tunnel opens, the old one will close for a year for maintenance work. Once completed, the original tunnel will be open for northbound traffic, while the new tunnel will handle southbound vehicles. Currently the toll is £1.20[4].

So wherever you choose to drive this year, just keep your fingers crossed that you will come across a tunnel. While looking really cool, they are also useful education tools to introduce your kids to engineering and problem solving.

About the author: Hannah Warder writes for MediaVest (Manchester) on a number of topics including car insurance in the UK

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