Cleveland-born Adrian Wallace, 52, takes up the role of Chief Executive Officer to operate the key transport link which forms part of the A19.

Adrian brings a wealth of experience to the organisation, having worked in various, senior positions within the health, education, infrastructure and property sectors in the UK and internationally.

Most recently he held the position of Asset CEO at Fulcrum Infrastructure Management and CEO of ULiving@Hertfordshire Plc.

From 2016 until June 2021, Adrian was the CEO of Tramlink Nottingham Ltd, helping to build, maintain and operate this vital piece of Nottingham’s infrastructure. He steered the organisation through the pandemic ensuring key workers were able to get to work during this difficult period.

In recent years, we have continued to improve the Tunnels’ infrastructure with the successful introduction of the Tyne Pass free-flow system. The new system has reduced congestion, cut journey times, modernised infrastructure, and created 80 new local permanent jobs.

He sees large infrastructure schemes like the Tyne Tunnels as catalysts for regeneration and economic growth.

“Now that Tyne Tunnels has successfully transitioned from toll booths to a more modern, free-flow system, I intend to build on these changes, improving methods of payment and cementing our position in the North East infrastructure,” said Adrian.

“My approach is customer-driven. I will ensure the absolute focus of the organisation is the customer. It is the 1.6 million customers driving though the tunnels each month that we need to be conscious of, creating a service that evolves with their needs. A one-size fits all approach may not be suitable for everyone, so we will be reviewing our products.”

He also intends to build on our organisation’s green credentials, continuing our sustainability work and efforts to reduce environmental impact. We have achieved carbon neutrality for our own operations (Scope 1 and 2 emissions) since 2020 and, for the first time, have reported and verified our Scope 3 emissions for the period August 2021 to July 2022.

He added: “I hope to work closer with local community groups and key stakeholders to see how we can play a greater role in the region, offering meaningful social and economic impact.”