The Royal party visited the north side of the tunnel and met Tyne Tunnel staff; the Queen gave a speech and unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening of the tunnel. "Now the project is complete, I would like to congratulate all those who have played a part," the Queen said.
Main construction work for the second vehicle tunnel under the Tyne began in October 2008 and opened in November 2011. The tunnel provides a transport link beneath the River Tyne adjacent to the original, 1967-built vehicle tunnel. The immersed tube tunnel was built as part of the GBP 260M (USD 406M) New Tyne Crossing project.
