Dredger starts work on River Tyne

The section-cutting dredger, Vesalius, reduces the amount of silt disturbed

After months of planning, a massive dredger has started preparation work on the bed of the River Tyne for a new vehicle tunnel.

The 300ft (90m) Vesalius will create a channel in the riverbed between East Howdon and Jarrow, to house four prefabricated tunnel sections.

Work started on Monday evening and it is expected to take up to six weeks.

Around 400,000 tonnes of sediment will be dredged and used to reclaim 13 acres of land on the Port of Tyne site.

Brian Reeve, chief technical officer at the Port of Tyne, said: "It's been months in the planning, and a once in a generation opportunity to do this, so we are very excited."

The Vesalius is a suction-cutting dredger, which sucks sediment and water up, reducing the amount of silt that is disturbed compared to the usual "bucket" method.

The technique should pose a lower risk to the environment, including fish stocks.

The second Tyne Tunnel is due to open in February 2011, when the existing tunnel will close for 10 months to allow modernisation work to be carried out.