Today
When driving through the tunnel, it appears as semi-circular. It is circular, however, and the area below the roadway is known as Central Avenue. The roadway acts freestanding. The area beneath the roadway was planned to house an electric tram route, but it was instead used to house a gas pipe, which was later abandoned. It is still used – it is the main ventilation fresh air supply duct. It also carries services (cables, pipes etc.).
In April 2004 construction began of seven emergency refuges below the road deck, each capable of holding 180 people, as part of a £9 million project to bring the tunnel into line with the highest European safety standards. Each refuge is 21 metres (69 ft) long and 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide, accessible from the main tunnel walls. The refuges have fire resistant doors, ramps for wheelchair access, a supply of bottled water, a toilet, and a video link to the Mersey Tunnels Police control room. All seven refuges are linked by a walkway below the road surface, with exits at the Liverpool and Birkenhead ends.
In September 2009, scenes from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 were filmed in the tunnel.
As of 2012, the toll fee is £1.50 per journey for a single passenger car of typical size. Average daily traffic through the tunnel currently stands at 35,000 vehicles, which equates to just under 12.8 million per year.
Read more about this topic: Queensway Tunnel
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