Merseyside Police closed the Birkenhead Tunnel after a serious crash in the Queensway Tunnel at about 13:05 BST, while a vehicle was travelling from Birkenhead to Liverpool. Motorists and river-crossing bus passengers were told to avoid the area as police dealt with the incident.
The tunnel runs between Liverpool city centre and Birkenhead, making it one of the main cross-Mersey routes. That link was cut after police received the report of a vehicle crash and shut the tunnel shortly afterwards.
Merseyside Police in Queensway Tunnel
Police said the crash involved an off-road bike. The vehicle was heading from Birkenhead to Liverpool when the report came in at about 13:05 BST, and the tunnel was then closed.
A spokesperson told motorists to try to avoid the area while police handled the incident. For people using the crossing, that meant the route stopped carrying traffic through the Queensway Tunnel and the disruption moved to the surrounding network instead.
Merseytravel and Kingsway Tunnel
Merseytravel said all river-crossing bus services were being re-routed via the Kingsway Tunnel until further notice. It also said those services were facing delays as a result.
That created a split situation for travellers: the Queensway Tunnel stayed shut after the crash, while buses still had to keep moving through another tunnel. For anyone relying on those services, the immediate practical step was to avoid the closed crossing and allow extra time on alternate river routes.
Birkenhead to Liverpool route
The closure hit a major Mersey crossing used for travel between Liverpool and Birkenhead. With no reopening time set out in the available information, the only live instruction from Merseyside Police was to stay away from the area until the incident was cleared.
