ASSOCIATION

INTERNATIONALE DES TRAVAUX

EN SOUTERRAIN ITA
AITES
INTERNATIONAL
TUNNELLING
ASSOCIATION
Towards an In Consultative Status, Category II with the
improved use United Nations Economic and Social Council
of underground http://www.ita-aites.org
Space

Topic
IMMERSED AND FLOATING TUNNELS
Title
New Tyne Crossing, Newcastle, joint venture of bored and immersed tunnel completes the link
Author
J.C.W.M. de Wit, T.J. Fay
Originally published
in "(Re)Claiming the Underground Space",
Vol. 1, pp. 283 - 285, Year 2003.
by A.A. Balkema, Lisse ,The Netherlands, www.balkema.nl and www.szp.swets.nl
Working Group: -
Open Session, Seminar, Workshop: "Immersed Tunnels", Amsterdam, 2003
Others: Meetings

Abstract: This paper outlines the topics of the New Tyne Crossing, Newcastle UK. The existing 2 lane bored tunnel in
the motorway A 19 will be joined by a new 2 lanes immersed tunnel to complete the link.
Rsum: -
Remarks: -

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09042-45.qxd 2/17/03 5:57 PM Page 283
(Re)Claiming the Underground Space, Saveur (ed.)
2003 Swets & Zeitlinger, Lisse, ISBN 90 5809 542 8
New Tyne Crossing, Newcastle, joint venture of bored and
immersed tunnel completes the link
J.C.W.M. de Wit
Royal Haskoning Rotterdam
T.J. Fay
Posford Haskoning Newcastle
ABSTRACT: This paper outlines the topics of the New Tyne Crossing, Newcastle UK. The existing 2 lane
bored tunnel in the motorway A19 will be joined by a new 2 lane immersed tunnel to complete the link.
1 INTRODUCTION
For many years serious congestion has occurred at
peak times on the A19 trunk road at its crossing under
the river Tyne east of Newcastle. The Bottleneck
occurs in the 2 lane bi-directional Tyne Tunnel which
was constructed in the sixties and designed to carry
24,000 vehicles per day; it now carries 35,000 vehi-
cles per day. Upgrading of the existing crossing is
essential to reduce congestion (incl. air and noise pol-
lution), improve safety and travel times and will help
to attract investment along the A19 corridor and
improve access of the people of South Tyneside
(which has one of the highest unemployment rates in
the UK) to job opportunities in North Tyneside.
2 FEASIBILITY STUDIES
A feasibility study was carried out to select the most
suitable option for the New Tyne Crossing. Several
bridge and tunnel options were considered. On the
basis of environmental impact and navigational require-
ments on the river a tunnel option was considered to
be most appropriate. On the basis of whole life costing
and construction risk there appeared to be a benefit in
an immersed tunnel as opposed to a bored tunnel.
3 EXISTING TUNNEL
The existing Tyne Tunnel is 10.2 m diameter bored tun-
nel; it was excavated using hand boring tools and con-
structed of cast iron segments, each bolted together
and the joint sealed with lead. The subsoil in which
283
the tunnel was constructed comprises well faulted coal
measures which vary substantially along the align-
ment from alluvial soft clay to boulder clay inter-
spersed with water bearing beds of silt, sand and
gravel, shale, sandstone and coal seams. Mainly
because of the variations and the fissures that occur in
the coal measures the construction of the existing tun-
nel was very complicated with a lot of set backs and
incidents and an average production rate of approx.
7 m/week.
4 REFERENCE DESIGN
In the reference design the existing tunnel will carry
the northbound traffic (2 lanes), whereas the new tun-
nel carries the southbound traffic (2 lanes). The align-
ment of the new tunnel is mainly determined by the
water depth required depth in the navigation channel
in the River Tyne and the crossing points over the
existing tunnel in the northern bank. This resulted in
a 6% downward gradient on the north side of the river
and a 5% upward gradient on the south side. The hor-
izontal alignment is presented in Figure 1.
The new crossing, comprising a 2 lane traffic tube
and a 1.5 m wide escape/service tube, consists of:
380 m long immersed part at the river Tyne;
cut and cover south of approx. 800 m;
cut and cover north of approx. 320 m.
An immersed tunnel is constructed by dredging a
trench in the river bed and then floating pre assem-
bled tunnel elements into place before back filling
them and covering them with protective rock. The
immersed part of the New Tyne tunnel consists of
09042-45.qxd 03/Mar/03 10:48 AM Page 284

Figure 1. Plan view of Tyne tunnel.

MHWS = +2.4m OD = 5.0m CD

0.0m OD = +2.6m CD
MLWS = -1.9m OD = +0.7m CD

-7.8m OD existing river

-9.8m OD = -7.2m CD backfill level

1.4 1.4 rock armour protection 1.0m thick

1.4 1.4
-19.000m OD
-21.0m OD

assumed bed rock level

profile of dredged -28.6m OD

immersion trench

Figure 2. Immersed tunnel and existing bored tunnel.

800 13400 800 800 13400 800

+8.2m OD +10.5m OD +9.6m OD
Diaphragm wall 0.8m +7.0m OD Diaphragm wall 0.8m
Diaphragm wall

1025
7750
OD level
OD level +0.410m OD
3000 250

-2.800m OD

-4.4m OD
Grout prop Gravel layer
12000 -7.3m OD

-16.0m OD EXISTING TUNNEL -15.2M OD -12.4m OD

Figure 3. Cross section approach and cross over.

four 95 m long elements (b h 14 8.75 m), each
consisting of units of 19 m. It is envisaged that the
elements will be constructed in two shifts in a tempo-
rary construction dock in Howdon Basin on the north
side of the river and situated within the alignment of
the new tunnel. It will be necessary to dredge a berthing
pocket for the temporary storage of the 1st shift ele-
ments whilst the 2nd shift elements are constructed.
This is to allow all four elements to be immersed con-
secutively after dredging of the immersion trench.
The temporary berthing pocket is located at the edge
of the navigation channel so as not to interfere with
shipping movements and to avoid destabilising river
edge structures.
The approaches are to be constructed using cut and
cover techniques involving deep braced excavations
with diaphragm walls, removal of soil to a temporary
storage, construction of the concrete structure in the
building pit, back filling using the excavated material
and reinstatement of the surface. Excavations of over
25 m in depth and partly within bed rock have to be
performed to allow for construction of the permanent
concrete body (Figure 3, left). The new tunnel is
required to cross the existing tunnel in two locations on
the north side of the river. During construction of the
new tunnel the existing tunnel will continue to be used.
For reasons of protecting the existing tunnel it is desir-
able to maximise the vertical separation between the

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two tunnels at the crossing points. This is the main
reason why a 6% gradient is adopted at the northern
approach of the new tunnel. Still the works required
to construct the new tunnel must be carried out in
such a way that the risk of disturbing loading condi-
tions is minimised. Therefore special techniques and
construction phasing is applied. Both the diaphragm
walls and the building pit base are supported by the
same grout body of approx. 3 m in depth. After a
minor excavation the roof is constructed and back
filled again, followed by excavation and construction
of the concrete structure underneath the tunnel roof.
During construction the existing tunnel will be care-
fully monitored (Figure 3, right).
5 ENVIRONMENTAL
Since the tunnel will be situated in an urban sur-
rounding special attention is paid to the environmen-
tal impact of construction and operation of the tunnel.
285
Issues like traffic and construction noise, air quality,
landscape and visual impact, land and river ecology,
water quality and protection of adjacent structures
(e.g. existing bored tunnel and nearby housing) were
careful investigated.
6 FINANCIAL
Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Authority has com-
missioned a consortium of advisors to look in detail at
the issues surrounding the construction of a New
Tyne Crossing and to develop a reference design. The
crossing will be designed by a consortium of private
sector companies following a tendering process. The
concessionaire will be the consortium which success-
fully tenders to design, build, finance and operate the
new crossing. The concessionaire will take responsi-
bility for the operation for a period of up to 30 years.
Traffic studies and financial analyses (incl. capital
and operating costs) were carried out to determine the
concession period and annual toll revenues.