Walking through the history of the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels ahead of reopening

The tunnels under construction. Picture: North Tyneside Museums.

After a major restoration project costing millions, the tunnels will be set to welcome those on foot or pedal once more. Opened in 1951 and granted Grade II-listed status, the tunnels are an important piece of post-war industrial heritage between Howdon, in North Tyneside, and Jarrow. Here we take a closer look at thehistory in pictures.

The tunnels under construction.

The tunnels are set to reopen in the spring or early summer this year.

The entrance to the tunnels.

When the tunnels opened, the wooden escalators which took people from the surface down to the tunnels are up again were the longest in the world.

The restoration project has taken six years to complete.

The old boundary between County Durham and Northumberland is marked in tiles on the walls.

The tunnels are set to open later in the spring or in the early summer.

The tunnels were the first in the UK to be purpose-built for both cyclists and pedestrians.

By the mid-2000s, the tunnels were showing signs of their age.

User numbers had drastically declined after the nearby Tyne Tunnel opened to vehicles in 1967.

The tunnels were given Grade II-listed status.

It will be great to see the tunnels back in use this year.

The restoration project was delayed when specialists detected tiny asbestos fibres.

Six years after their closure, the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels are expected to open later in the spring or the early summer.