TT2, the operator of the Tyne Tunnels, contacted popular content creator and broadcaster Tom Scott after he put out a call for “unusual, obscure, or technically fascinating” locations to feature during his road trip through every historic county of England.
After hearing about the high-tech mist system at the tunnels – which is the first of its kind to be installed in a UK road tunnel – Tom made a film about it for his episode about historic County Durham (today it is called Tyne and Wear).
In the episode, ‘The Mist That Keeps the Tyne Tunnels Safe,’ the filmmaker explores the fire suppression system beneath the River Tyne which is a high-pressure water mist network designed to protect motorists in the event of a tunnel fire.
The fixed-fire suppression technology uses thousands of metres of pipework and specialist pumps to disperse 2,000 litres of water a minute, via 33 pumps – which can control extremely high-temperature vehicle fires.
TT2 employees gave Tom behind-the-scenes access to the tunnels to see the mist suppression controls, emergency evacuation infrastructure and the operational technology used to monitor tunnel safety 24/7, 365 days of the year.
COO at TT2, Shaun Simmons, said:
“It was a pleasure to have such a popular show come and visit us to highlight the remarkable engineering and, largely unseen, infrastructure we have operating beneath one of the North East’s busiest transport links. The safety of our customers is our number one priority and it’s great to be able to show people, up-close, how some of the tunnels’ protection technology works.”
Online reaction to the episode has been overwhelmingly positive, with the video hitting one million views and viewers praising the insight into the infrastructure.
Originally opened in 1967, the Tyne Tunnels connect North and South Tyneside beneath the River Tyne and facilitate just under 20 million journeys each year. Modernisation work in the 2010s introduced advanced safety features that helped make the crossing one of the safest road tunnels in the UK.
Tom Scott’s England is available on Nebula, YouTube and through Tom Scott’s official channels. View here.
