Consortium appointed to build tunnel under River Tyne

The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority has appointed a consortium to part-finance, design and build a second tunnel for road traffic under the River Tyne. The new toll tunnel is expected to open in 2010, when the existing tunnel will close for refurbishment. The consortium, led by French firm Bouygues, will also maintain all the tunnels under the river for the next 30 years.