ICE Peter Hansford took time out of his two-day visit to the North East to tour the New Tyne Crossing and learn about the refurbishment of the original Tyne Tunnel.
Mr Hansford was driven through the New Tyne Crossing as he arrived on Tyneside for the final leg of his tour of regional civil engineering landmarks.
He was then taken for a guided walk through the original tunnel, hearing from leading engineers about the work that comprises its first ever full refurbishment.
The visit came after Mr Hansford climbed to the top of the Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough, a civil engineering icon which celebrates its centenary in October. He also saw original plans of Middlesbrough’s Transporter Bridge at the British Steel Archives, earlier in the day.
Mr Hansford also visited Clavering Primary School, in Hartlepool, joining in a bridge building education activity, in which teams of pupils built a replica of this iconic structure.
A social evening on board HMS Trincomalee, hosted by ICE North East’s Graduates & Students committee, also forms part of the visit.
The president’s visit concludes on Thursday evening when he presents the prestigious Robert Stephenson Awards at the ICE North East annual dinner, at the Newcastle Gosforth Marriott Hotel tonight.
Mr Hansford said: “Once the refurbishment is complete and both bores are open, the New Tyne Crossing will have the potential to make a huge difference to the traffic flow between the North and South banks of the Tyne.
“This is a major feat of civil engineering and a massive investment in the region’s infrastructure. However, as my colleagues at the Institution of Civil Engineers North East have stated in the past, only once those vital intersections which connect the tunnels to the roads systems North and South of the river are upgraded will the full benefit be felt.”