Clyde Tunnel

I am sad with my Tunnel this week they have shut off my side for resurfacing for Cyclists.
Not that I am not happy for Cyclists but they are not doing the walkway, well they did not do the one in the other Tunnel.
I have not been walking through the Tunnel much lately but I am glad to start again, I am back to meet all of my walking Buddies again.
Lots of People at work think it is not safe but it is perfectly safe, the Trust have even been organising walks to encourage people to stop bringing their cars to work.
Come and join me and the Tunnel Monsters.

762m of holding your breath… this is a challenge many Glaswegians have taken to the extent that I once saw an arty video about it at the Gallery of Modern Art, it is the thing of urban legend.
My favourite way to traverse the tunnel is via the front seat of a double decker bus. I have cycled through and walked through, and I’ve even been inside the tunnel control room thanks to one extra special Doors Open Day tour… a piece of Glasgow engineering we couldn’t do without (now I challenge you to do the ‘hold your breath’ game. or at least Google folk doing it ;)

Seens as no one has reviewed the Pedestrian/​Cycle part of the infamous Clyde Tunnel I thought I would fill that particular Clyde Tunnel shaped void with my review of the said part of the CT.
There are 2 P&C tunnels: Northbound and Southbound, I’ve walked through both North & Southbound tunnels, this was initially only because someone told me you were only allowed to enter the tunnel in one direction which is indeed true for cyclists but not for pedestrians, who can walk through both. I’ve only walked through the tunnel twice now and there’s a simple reason; it’s a bit of a not-​very-​pleasant, creepy walk…
Each tunnel is split into 2 ~ one side for pedestrians, the other for cyclists. It takes about 10 – 15 mins walking through, depending on how speedy you walk. Apparently it’s been ‘done up’ a lot and there used to be lots of graffiti on the walls where as now they are all painted a depressing and unoriginal shade of GCC off white. I would’ve have preferred the graffiti. A few murals would be nice or if they got some local graff peeps to do some quality graffiti then that would cheer the place up.
At each entrance (and exit) there is a buzzer and camera secure entry door system ~ this is (I presume) to keep out all the neds, jakeys and all round nasty, murderin’ bad folk. Speaking from personal experience please don’t let this lull you into a false sense of security as it did myself when I 1^st went walking through the tunnel… once you get in there, as far as I can tell, there are no CCTV cameras or ‘Help’ buzzers for you to press should you find yourself in a bit of a hairy pickle once inside The Tunnel (which sounds as ominous as it is), this is one thing I find a bit disconcerting. The other things are the weird noises… such odd noises… then there’s the bit about half way along that looks as though it’s the CT staff jail cells or something, very odd and sinister. You could always have a laugh with some young people (children) and take them through the CT saying ‘If you’re not good that’s where they’ll send you!’ Muhahahaaa! I jest of course (a bit).
The CT can also be quite slippery under foot so please be wary of that. The other thing is the steady and cheeky incline you suddenly reach when you’re about ⁴⁄₅ mins from exiting, it’s a real burn on the thighs especially if you’re trying to walk fast because there’s a creeeepy guy/​murderer/​werewolf/​zombie behind you that might, possibly have an axe/​big knife/​lead piping, okay, so maybe that’s just what *I* imagine when i’m deep in The Tunnel, but you get my drift.
The Clyde Tunnel P&C part is probably a lot better and more suited for cyclists (although, again that incline is a killer) but if you fancy a walk on the wild/​creepy side then walk through here… if you dare! (it’s not *that* bad, really!)

I tried checking into the Clyde Tunnel the other day but there was no reception (minus one star). Secondly whilst trying desperately to get an internet connection and holding my phone to the window I almost crashed into the concrete walls. I mean, can you believe there are not even any crash barriers in the tunnel? (Minus another star for that). Additionally there is no radio reception within the tunnel and it smells of damp and pungent car fumes (minus another star).
For any tourist reading this, it is not an attraction you want to visit, unless you are trying to get to or from the Airport from the West End efficiently (taxis generally cost less if using the tunnel as its a shorter distance).
Apparently there is also a pedestrian /​cycle route for people to use, however if rumours are to be believed, you’d need to have balls of steel to even attempt stepping foot into the dark abyss. Again any vulnerable tourists reading this, I would not recommend walking across the Clyde tunnel unless you have a death wish.
I have never had many particularly long tunnel experiences like the Clyde Tunnel before, but I would say, all in all, its a fairly mundane experience and not the most scenic of roads in Scotland.

It’s just a hole in the ground that cars drive through!
Really!
Although there was a leak in here the other day, it fell off a greengrocer’s van.
HA!

I’ve had many a Clyde Tunnel diversion — and most are completely unplanned. As Gillian M says in her review, it connects the south of Glasgow (Govan) and the north (Whiteinch) underneath the Clyde River. When you’re driving into it, it really feels like a very steep descent which can be a little nerve wracking but before you know it, you’re back on the way up and out of the tunnel again.
I find the exits going from South to North are pretty poorly signposted and I feel like you need to have ninja reflexes to be able to make the first one. I’ve also ended up in a Clyde Tunnel loop, going from South to North to South again without being able to get the turn offs right. Thankfully now I tend to use my phone to tell me directions so that doesn’t happen anymore.
I’ve never been through the walkway as a pedestrian so that’s for a review update when I give that a chance.

Review the Clyde tunnel? Why not! If it’s good enough for the boss then it is good enough for me.
If your reading this and your a tourist. This should not be on your top ten sites to see. Not even on your top 100. In fact it’s not a site! It’s a tunnel that takes you from one side of the water to another. It’s useful in that sometimes you need to do that, but other than that it’s pretty uneventful. Well apart from the constant road work issues that seem to pop up on it.
Like Rob mentions in his tip as a kid it’s good for trying to hold your breath to see if you can make it through. I always used to imagine it bursting to and having to drive fast away from the water. (I had a vivid imagination it seems)
18 lines on the Clyde tunnel. Who would have guessed!

The Clyde Tunnel seems to be getting a lot of attention today but not a lot of love. Well I love the Clyde Tunnel!
Why you might ask? Well apart from driving through it nearly everyday for the best part of a decade and only getting mildly annoyed that the radio would cut out about 30 yards in to the tunnel (who knew radio waves just don’t travel under water, or is it through tunnel concrete??) it was just part of a road for me.
That was until the morning my son was born. With out the Clyde Tunnel I’m not sure how we would have got to the hospital in time!
And I’m not sure it’s possible to hold your breath for the length of the tunnel if you are driving at the speed limit? Or maybe that’s just my rubbish lungs?

Like everyone else, I do remember this experience being somewhat thrilling when I was a youngster, probably down to knowing I was under the river at the time, and the feel of being in a long straight tunnel reminding me a lot of the bit at the end of Star Wars.
I’m not sure it’s really possible to rate it however, as there’s not really much to complain about with a road tunnel (unless it collapses and sends the travellers to a watery grave), nor am I sure what constitutes a true 5 star road tunnel, so I’ll give it 4 just to be safe.

The Clyde Tunnel is a thrilling experience for the wee yins. I used to love driving through here and trying to hold my breath from one end to the other. In fact, I believe this was a popular pastime — there was a wee video documentary about it at the Gallery of Modern Art a couple of years ago, where they had young kids go through the tunnel and try to hold their breath the whole way. (The video is Gobstopper by Roderick, if you’re interested!) The results were, of course, adorable. And what’s a Glasgow landmark without a heaped dose of cute?
The tunnels connect Whiteinch and Govan in the west of the city, and are approximately 762 metres (2,500 feet) long.

Not exactly beautiful (some might say ugly) and hardly an adored Glasgow landmark but one which is extremely useful and well-​renowned. It is a crossing for both cars and pedestrians in both directions (there are actually two tunnels) under the River Clyde, connecting the districts of Whiteinch and Govan and an estimated 65,000 use it daily.
I remember passing through it as a passenger when I was a child and it seemed to go on forever — the experience was oddly thrilling. Now as an adult it seems to be a much shorter journey but I still enjoy playing the games we often did such as holding your breath as you passed through and I continue to get those butterflies in my tummy at the deepest point when I suddenly realise that I’m actually under water.