THE Liverpool City Region’s journey towards making the transport network “Net Zero” took another step forward this week with the completion of the Queensway Tunnel lighting refresh project.

Cllr Steve Foulkes, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee, officially switched on the £11m LED lighting scheme in a special ceremony last night.

The tunnel is now fitted with 1,058 new LED lights, 230 new electricity distribution boards and more than 100,000 metres of power cabling all of which will cut the tunnels carbon output by 60% each year.

The lighting upgrade is part of Mayor Rotheram’s plans to decarbonise the City Region’s public transport network, contributing to the region’s ambitious target to be net zero by 2035. 

Cllr Steve Foulkes, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee, said:- “The £11m lighting upgrade in the Queensway Tunnel is not only an important project for the on going maintenance of the structure but is also a vital scheme in our pledge to make our City Region net zero by 2035. We’re delighted that we have been able to complete these works ahead of schedule and it’s a credit to the work of the project team that we have been able to achieve this. This year we celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Queensway opening, and these works are a testament to our on going commitment to invest in an essential part of our city region transport network. We’d like to thank tunnel users for the patience and understanding they showed while the works were carried out.”

With its 25 year lifespan, the new energy efficient LED system throughout the 2 mile tunnel will also create electricity cost savings without any reduction in lighting quality.

Funded through the Liverpool City Region’s ‘City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement,’ it will bring the Queensway Tunnel in line with the Kingsway ‘Wallasey’ Tunnel, which became more energy efficient thanks to completion of a similar upgrade in June 2018.

This lighting upgrade is part of an ongoing investment and modernisation programme to futureproof the tunnels as a key part of the City Region transport network and a vital a cross-river travel option.