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Seven emergency refuges have been built in the Queensway Tunnel as part of a nine million pound safety project. The construction of the refuges, each capable of accommodating 180 people, brings the Liverpool to Birkenhead tunnel in line with the highest European standards.

Inside one of the refuges

The refuges have all been built below the roadway and are reached through highly visible access points in the tunnel walls. Each refuge is 21 metres long and three metres wide with fire resistant doors and ramps suitable for wheel chair access. A supply of bottled water and a toilet is provided in each refuge with all seven linked by walkways under the road surface.

In the event of an emergency, motorists will be directed to the closest refuge via a public address system and by directional noise beacons and flashing arrows. Once inside the refuges motorists can communicate via a video link with the Mersey Tunnels police control room.

The refuges can accommodate people for a period of time until tunnel staff or emergency services guide them either back to their vehicles or under the tunnel to exits at the Liverpool or Birkenhead ends.

A corridor leads to the refuge

Neil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, said β€œIn the event of an emergency we’ve go very secure ways of getting people from the road deck to somewhere safe, and then we can get them away safely. There’s no doubt it’s a cost worth doing, you can’t put a price on people’s safety.”

Construction work started in April 2004, all of the material, plant and equipment needed for the refuges had to pass through a 2 metre x 2 metre opening in the tunnel road surface. The majority of work was carried out with night time lane closures in operation with live traffic passing in two open lanes.