A1300 road

The current route of the A1300 was originally the B1300, although when the Tyne Tunnel was completed, they decided to upgrade the B1300 to A-road status, to make easier access to South Shields town centre. The section known as John Reid Road was named after Lieut.-Col. John Reid, O.B.E., M.I.C.E., who served as the Borough Engineer for over 30 years. Construction began in 1963, and the road was officially opened on 27 April 1965 by Lord Lindgren, then Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport. During the ceremony, around 200 residents protested for safer pedestrian access, which led the council to commit to a subway crossing at a cost of £18,000. Reid retired shortly…