One PA Reuter photograph titled 'Tunnelling under the Tyne'. Caption on back reads: Men are seen at work on a pilot tunnel for the Tyne road tunnel, which is to join Howdon, Northumberland, and Jarrow, County Durham - a £12,600,000 project. Work on the scheme - which is expected to take five years - was inaugurated by Mr Ernest Marples, Minister of Transport, on October 9, 1961.

The tunnel will be about 5.500 ft. long. It will be circular, more than 31ft. in diameter, with a 24ft. roadway to carry one line of traffic in each direction. There will be dual carriageway approach roads from main routes on both banks.