Mersey Tunnel

[Pete Owens]

Nowadays this is even more of an issue as the next crossing up-river at Runcorn is closed for renovation during the week and cycling is banned on the brand new bridge a bit further:
https://www.cyclestreets.net/location/103166/
This means you have to go all the way to Warrington to ride across the Mersey. Quite a diversion:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/53.40932,-2.9834679/53.3908953,-3.0149364/@53.3735119,-2.9085222,11.25z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-2.6129181!2d53.3769826!3s0x487b0265eb8cb30b:0x14064a0e70543f07!3m4!1m2!1d-2.6987919!2d53.3051346!3s0x487ae317999ad22f:0x2cc207979eb577da!1m0!3e1

The pedestrian section on Runcorn bridge is open surely?

Only at weekends - a bit of an issue for anyone commuting between Runcorn and Widnes.

(Haven't been that way for a while so don't know).

It has been that way since the day they opened the new bridge (but not for cyclists) in 2017.

[The Gazman]

Actually, going by this (undated) article on the Halton Borough Council website, https://hbcnewsroom.co.uk/part-time-clo ... hcycleway/, it would appear the bridge could officially be used by cyclists after 4pm on weekdays, although it should be open now at all times, unless HBC have a different definition of when summer 2019 starts!

However, I imagine they only said it was shut to cyclists for excessively cautious health and safety reasons and that, like kwackers did, you could go across at any time.

There was also a bit of a discussion on this topic on the LEJOG forum a few months ago: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=128766&start=15

[Pete Owens]

Nope there are high fences and locked gates. The work looks very far from completion.

And even when it does open that is still no excuse to ban us from the new bridge, which is a mile and a half away.

I guess we would probably get away with riding across the new bridge - but the very frequent officious notices (including the one on that link) suggest that they are very keen to to keep their band new bridge clear of plebs on bikes - so there probably is some enforcement activity.

[RickH]

Update on the old Runcorn Bridge (aka the Silver Jubilee Bridge).

... the opening date for pedestrians and cyclists could be very soon, with a 'late summer 2019' opening confirmed by Halton Borough Council.

From Cheshire Live article here published 2nd July.

[marvelwear]

Just been through the tunnel with a group to support the runners of the scouse 5k.rode through at 09.30 on the sunday morning and back a 12.45 pm,Seemed fun until smoke makes you cough and then you struggle for breath a bit .traffic was a bit beepy but as a group of 4 it was safer .I wont be in a hurry to go again ,but it was fun on the decent 35-40mph but sunken grids means its dodgy and no dark glasses !
Hope 4 all Cycling group.

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my SM-N950F using hovercraft full of eels.

[John Holiday]

Remember doing this run on my Windcheater Recumbent some years ago on Liverpool-Chester Charity ride.
Wasnt a particularly pleasant experience even without all the usual cars driving through.
Still an experience to try once I suppose!

[marvelwear]

Chesty cough now I've done it now but think if I do it again I'm not sharing with cars!

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my SM-N950F using hovercraft full of eels.

[kwackers]

Remember doing this run on my Windcheater Recumbent some years ago on Liverpool-Chester Charity ride.
Wasnt a particularly pleasant experience even without all the usual cars driving through.
Still an experience to try once I suppose!

That's the only time I've cycled it.
It was the return trip that nearly got me, not helped by having cycled from Warrington so still had 20 miles to go once I'd got back to Liverpool.

Done it quite a few times on foot for the Tunnel 10k race.

[DNC123]

Does anyone know if the card payment system in the tunnel has now been set up? I have to go through tomorrow and don't want to start rooting around to find the tunnel fee. Swipe card would be much better, but the projected start date of last February passed by unnoticed.