The Tyne Tunnels are jointly owned by the five Tyne and Wear Councils. Through the region’s joint transport arrangements the interests of the local authorities are represented by the Joint Transport Committee’s Tyne and Wear Sub Committee (TWSC) and administered by officers of Transport North East. The Tyne Tunnels receive no government or local funding, and costs are fully met by toll charges from the road tunnels.TT2 Ltd as Concessionaire is responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of both the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels and the two Tyne Road Tunnels, while Transport North East monitor the operation.
History of the Tyne Tunnels
The Tyne Tunnel opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1967, the original vehicle tunnel is 1 mile long and was originally built by Edmund Nuttall Limited.
It was operational as a two-way traffic tunnel until a modern second vehicle tunnel was constructed and opened fully in November 2011 as part of the New Tyne Crossing project. The development successfully eliminated what was at the time, one of the UK’s worst congestion black spots and was warmly welcomed by the public.
The New Tyne Crossing project was delivered via a Private Public Partnership (PPP). The Concessionaire, TT2 Ltd (a special-purpose company) is responsible for the part-financing, design and construction of the new road tunnel, and for the operation and maintenance of all the tunnels under the river, including the Grade II listed Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels.
The Concession will run until 2037 after which all the tunnels can be handed back to the local authorities.
Customer Information
To assist customers, Transport North East (on behalf of the North East Joint Transport Committee) and TT2 have jointly worked together on a customer guide which can be found here. This guide is intended to supplement rather than replace any information provided via TT2’s own FAQ’s or published guidance. We advise that if you have any specific needs, or have a query relating to a specific journey or charge you can typically address these by contacting TT2 directly. Please note that whilst this document does contain information regarding the process for collecting unpaid tolls, nothing in the customer guide should be relied upon as legal advice.
Statistics on the operation of the Tyne Tunnels are published by TT2 Limited here. For more information on the Tyne Pass Scheme which was introduced in November 2021 click here.”
You can pay your toll charge on the TT2 website. Please note all tolls must be paid by midnight the day after each transit.
Tyne Tunnel Byelaws
Byelaws were made by the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority in pursuance of the Transport and Works Act 1992 and the River Tyne (Tunnels) Order 2005. The current Byelaws are available here. They detail how people must behave within the site and are designed to ensure the toll is paid and the tunnels are as safe as possible.
Tyne Tunnel Tolls
The Tyne Tunnels are entirely self-funded and paid for primarily through tolls. A 10% discount is available to pre-paid account holders.
For more information on how to set up a pre-paid account via the TT2 app or website www.tt2.co.uk
The current tolls are:
| Vehicle | Toll | Pre-paid Account (with 10% discount) |
| Motorbike Disabled registered | Free | N/A |
| Car, Van or Bus less than 3.5 tonnes | £2.20 | £1.98 |
| LGV, Van or Bus over 3.5 tonnes | £4.40 | £3.96 |
Please note that scheduled bus services, motorcycles, tax exempt vehicles due to disability and vehicles registered on the Blue Badge holders scheme can travel toll-free. Use of the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist tunnels is also free.
For more information on the Tyne Pass Scheme, click here.