Birkenhead Tunnel Faces Closure During Major Event 2026

Key Points

• Queensway (Birkenhead) Mersey Tunnel will be closed to all traffic in both directions on Sunday, 5 July 2026 from 5:00 am to 4:30 pm for the annual Liverpool–Chester–Liverpool (LCL) Bike Ride.
• Cyclists will ride through the tunnel as part of the event, making it a traffic‑free experience for participants.
• Kingsway (Kingsway) Mersey Tunnel will remain open, but Merseytravel advises drivers to allow extra journey time.
• Liverpool City Council warns of a lane closure on Old Haymarket to support the tunnel closure.
• The tunnel will first reopen to traffic from Liverpool to Birkenhead at 1:00 pm, and to all traffic at 4:00 pm.
• The LCL Bike Ride offers five route options ranging from 5 miles for families and beginners to 100 miles for experienced cyclists.
• The event is non‑competitive, open to all ages and abilities, and lets riders explore landscapes across Liverpool, Wirral and Chester.

Birkenhead (Liverpool standard) July 02, 2026 – The uk/local/birkenhead/">Birkenhead Tunnel, officially known as the Queensway Mersey Tunnel, will be closed for one day in July for a major event, as reported by the Liverpool Echo. The city will host the annual Liverpool–Chester–Liverpool (LCL) Bike Ride this weekend, with cyclists from across Liverpool and the North West taking part, according to coverage by the Liverpool Echo. The cyclists will ride through the Queensway (Birkenhead) Mersey Tunnel on Sunday, 5 July 2026, and the tunnel will be closed to all traffic in both directions from 5:00 am to 4:30 pm, the Liverpool Echo states.

This closure is necessary to allow the bike ride to pass safely through the tunnel and to create a unique, traffic‑free experience for participants crossing the Mersey, as explained in the Liverpool Echo article. The event organisers have timed the closure to cover the full period needed for the ride to move through the tunnel and surrounding routes, while still enabling the tunnel to reopen earlier for some traffic flows.

How will the tunnel closure affect drivers and commuters?

The Kingsway Mersey Tunnel will still be open during the closure, but Merseytravel said:

“Please allow additional time to complete your journey,”

according to the Liverpool Echo. This means drivers who normally rely on the Queensway Tunnel will need to use the Kingsway or alternative routes, potentially increasing congestion on those roads and nearby junctions.

Liverpool City Council said:

“There will be a lane closure on Old Haymarket, which supports the closure of the Queensway Tunnel,”

the council stated in a message reported by the Liverpool Echo. The tunnel will reopen to traffic from Liverpool to Birkenhead at 1:00 pm on the day, and to all traffic at 4:00 pm, the Liverpool Echo reports. Therefore, drivers travelling from Liverpool to Birkenhead may see the tunnel resume limited use in the early afternoon, while full two‑way traffic will only return in the late afternoon.

What is the LCL Bike Ride and who can take part?

The Liverpool Chester Liverpool Bike Ride gives cycling fans across the UK the opportunity to explore scenic landscapes across Liverpool, Wirral and Chester through five different route options, as described by the Liverpool Echo. The race also gives cycling enthusiasts the unique opportunity to cross the Mersey through the Queensway Mersey Tunnel traffic‑free, the Liverpool Echo notes.

The bike ride is a non‑competitive experience that caters for all ages and abilities and the distances range from 5 miles for families with children and beginners, to 100 miles for more experienced cyclists, according to the Liverpool Echo. This structure means that the event is designed to be accessible to casual riders, school groups and families, while also offering a challenging option for serious cyclists looking for a long rural and urban route.

Where will the event routes run and what areas are affected?

Although the most prominent closure is the Queensway Tunnel itself, the event also impacts surface roads in and around Birkenhead and Liverpool. Liverpool City Council has confirmed a lane closure on Old Haymarket to support the tunnel closure, as reported by the Liverpool Echo. This suggests that traffic management will extend beyond the tunnel into surrounding streets, potentially affecting local commuters, buses and heavy goods vehicles.

Cyclists will be able to ride through the Queensway (Birkenhead) Mersey Tunnel on Sunday, 5 July 2026, the Liverpool Echo reports, combining urban riding with a rare tunnel crossing. Routes across Liverpool, Wirral and Chester are designed to showcase both cityscapes and countryside, offering participants a varied experience that includes busy urban centres as well as quieter rural stretches.

What advice has been given to the public and event participants?

Merseytravel has advised road users to plan ahead and allow additional time to complete their journeys during the closure window, as stated in the Liverpool Echo. This advice is particularly important for those who rely on the Queensway Tunnel for work, school or appointment travel, as delays may be significant during the peak closure hours.

Liverpool City Council has emphasised that the tunnel will reopen to traffic from Liverpool to Birkenhead at 1:00 pm on the day, and to all traffic at 4:00 pm, according to the Liverpool Echo. This staged reopening means that some drivers may see partial resumption of traffic earlier in the afternoon, but full normal operation will only return in the late afternoon. Cyclists and event participants are expected to follow designated routes and marshalling instructions to ensure safety, as implied by the event’s non‑competitive, all‑abilities approach.

What are the wider implications for local transport and the event’s prominence?

The closure of a major infrastructure asset such as the Queensway Tunnel for a single‑day sporting and community event highlights the growing importance of the LCL Bike Ride in the North West calendar. The fact that the event is able to secure a full tunnel closure for more than 11 hours, from 5:00 am to 4:30 pm, suggests strong coordination between event organisers, Merseytravel and local authorities, as reflected in the detailed operational announcements in the Liverpool Echo.

By allowing cyclists to cross the Mersey through the tunnel in a traffic‑free environment, the event creates a distinctive experience that is not commonly available on other routes in the region, according to the Liverpool Echo. This can help to raise the profile of the LCL Bike Ride, encourage more participants in future years and promote cycling as a viable and enjoyable mode of transport across Liverpool, Wirral and Chester.

Background: Development of the LCL Bike Ride and Tunnel Use

The LCL Bike Ride has become a recognized annual event that brings together cycling enthusiasts from across the UK to explore a multi‑route network spanning Liverpool, Wirral and Chester. The use of the Queensway (Birkenhead) Mersey Tunnel as part of the ride is a notable feature, transforming a conventional road tunnel into a temporary cycling corridor. This development reflects a broader trend in UK cities to open up key infrastructure for community and sporting events, supporting active travel and local engagement.

The staged reopening of the tunnel, first to traffic from Liverpool to Birkenhead and later to all traffic, demonstrates careful traffic management designed to balance the needs of cyclists and road users. Such arrangements require coordination between event organisers, transport authorities and local councils, as outlined in the Liverpool Echo coverage. The lane closure on Old Haymarket further indicates that the event’s impact extends beyond the tunnel itself, affecting local road networks and necessitating temporary traffic measures.

Prediction: How This Development Can Aff ect Residents, Cyclists and Local Businesses

For residents and commuters in Birkenhead, Liverpool and surrounding areas, the one‑day closure of the Queensway Tunnel will likely cause short‑term disruption to daily travel patterns, particularly during morning and early afternoon hours. Drivers may experience longer journey times, increased congestion on alternative routes such as the Kingsway Tunnel, and potential delays for buses and freight vehicles. However, because the closure is limited to a single day and includes a staged reopening, the overall impact is expected to be manageable for most people who can plan ahead.

For cyclists and event participants, the development offers a unique opportunity to experience a high‑profile, traffic‑free crossing of the Mersey, which could encourage more people to take part in the LCL Bike Ride in future years. The availability of five route options ranging from 5 to 100 miles means that the event can attract a broad audience, from families and beginners to serious endurance riders. Local businesses near the route and around Old Haymarket may see a temporary shift in customer flow, with some benefiting from increased footfall during the event and others facing reduced access due to road closures and lane restrictions. Overall, the event is likely to strengthen the region’s cycling culture and showcase the North West as a destination for large‑scale, community‑focused sporting events.