Brynglas Tunnels facts for kids
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| The eastern portal: entrance to west bound tunnel on left, exit of east bound tunnel on right | |
Quick facts for kids Overview |
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| Location | Newport, Wales |
| Coordinates | 51°36′12″N 2°59′51″W / 51.60325°N 2.99739°W |
| Route | M4 |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 10 September 1962 |
| Technical | |
| Length | 360 metres (390 yd) |
| Number of lanes | 2 each way |
| Operating speed | Variable |
The Brynglas Tunnels are a pair of tunnels that carry the M4 under Brynglas Hill in Newport, Wales. These tunnels are special because they are the first and only twin tunnels on the UK's motorway network. Each tunnel is about 360 meters (394 yards) long.
Building the Tunnels
The idea for the tunnels and a nearby bridge over the River Usk came from Newport City Council. They suggested the plan in August 1959 to the government's transport department.
Work on the tunnels began on 10 September 1962. The project cost about £3 million, which was a lot of money back then! A famous engineer named Sir Owen Williams led the building work. Both the tunnels and the Usk bridge were finished and opened to traffic on 5 May 1967.
During construction, some houses on Brynglas Road had to be taken down. This happened because the tunneling made the ground weak under them. This even led to discussions about the project.
Traffic and Congestion
Soon after the M4 bypass around Newport opened, there was a lot more traffic than expected. Because of this, the road had to be made wider. In 1982, most of the M4 was widened to three lanes in each direction.
However, the Brynglas Tunnels and the Usk bridge stayed as two lanes in each direction. This means they often become a bottleneck, where traffic slows down and builds up.
To help with traffic, some M4 exits and entrances around the tunnels are changed. For example, if you are going west and want to join the M4 at Junction 25, you are sent on a longer route. This helps reduce traffic directly through the tunnels. But it can make other local roads busier during rush hour.
Because of the frequent traffic jams at the tunnels, a variable speed limit is now used. This means the speed limit can change depending on how busy the road is.
For many years, people talked about building a new M4 road south of Newport. This new road would have helped reduce traffic through the tunnels. However, in 2009, the Welsh Parliament decided not to go ahead with this plan. The A48 Southern Distributor Road is still the main alternative route. In 2012, the Welsh Parliament looked at new ideas, including building more tunnels.
Lorry Fire Incident
On 26 July 2011, a large lorry caught fire inside one of the Brynglas Tunnels. The lorry was entering the tunnel when it caught fire. It couldn't get out because of the damage.
The driver tried to separate the front part of the lorry from the back, but the fire grew quickly. The lorry's tires started to explode. Another driver, Ashley Hall, stopped his car to block other vehicles from entering the smoky tunnel. He then quickly drove into the tunnel to pick up the lorry driver and get them both to safety.
No one was seriously hurt in the fire. However, the tunnels had to be completely closed. This caused huge traffic delays for a long time in both directions.
See also
In Spanish: Túneles Brynglas para niños
