After Emily, 12, from Cramlington, won our mural competition in January, the mural is now complete on the TT2 building!
Emily won a public vote after we launched our competition to find a design that celebrates the tunnels becoming more environmentally friendly, with faster journeys and reduced congestion, since we transitioned to Open Road Tolling in November 2021. Her design that shows a 1964 VW Split Screen Kombi Van – which was the first vehicle to travel through the Tyne Tunnels when we switched to Open Road Tolling – and the bees that live at the tunnels.
Emily and her dad helped local artist Mark Shields paint the mural onto our building on North side of the river. Have you spotted the mural as you come out the Northbound tunnel yet?
Emily said: “Winning the competition has been an amazing experience. I am so proud of the design and how the artist recreated it for the mural. I never expected to be so huge!
“Mark has really inspired me and he even let me help with the painting. I got to visit the Tyne Tunnels for a tour and even got to see the control room. I am so grateful for the opportunity and will never forget it! Thank you to the TT2 team and everyone involved.”
Our chief executive, Philip Smith said: “Emily’s design looks fantastic. We see it as a fitting tribute to the significant benefit to generations of children who live near the tunnels that C02 emissions have been cut so drastically thanks to open road tolling.”
C02 emissions that were caused by the plazas have reduced by around 90% since we transitioned to Open Road Tolling in November 2021. The equivalent of 2,600 passenger return flights to New York were saved in February alone.