MT 39/488

WAR MEASURES: Mersey Tunnel: storage of war material

Date range	1940
Location	National Archives (see all files stored here)
Catalogue	See entry
File base	Series MT, subseries MT 39

Context

In the early days of the Second World War, all manner of measures were being considered to make the best use of the country's infrastructure. This file contains correspondence between the Ministry of War Transport and other bodies regarding possible uses for the then-new Mersey Tunnel.

The key proposals were to use it for storage, either by closing certain branches (it having four portals) or by building a wall down the centre, leaving two traffic lanes open and two for storage. One idea was to cut manholes in the road deck, allowing the space beneath to be used to store rubber or oil. The Liverpool Dock exit was considered for a linear munitions factory.

The idea was eventually ruled out because of difficulty of access and protection, safety concerns, the heavy traffic use that the tunnel was receiving as Liverpool's port handled many goods from Allied countries, and because the tunnel was starting to be used as a bomb shelter.

Most of this file's contents are written up in the CBRD feature on the Queensway Tunnel.

People with camera copies

Chris Marshall has a complete copy.