Bodleian tunnel refurbishment completed

Previously cramped, dusty, poorly ventilated, slippery underfoot and badly lit with very limited room, it the tunnel has been completely redecorated and is now a clean, safe, bright space akin to any other functional corridor in a University facility.

The project started early last year. Most work finished some time ago, but a few remaining tasks have now been completed, including installation of automatic fire doors at either end of the tunnel. The before and after pictures below show what a difference the refurbishment has made.

Before

After

Library staff now have a fast, secure and weatherproof way to move items across the road. The tunnel is also now a far more pleasant environment, and complies with all modern standards around issues such as fire safety. Vinyl flooring has been installed throughout to help avoid slips – the tunnel has a pronounced upward slope as it approaches the Old Bodleian, after starting at a lower level on the Weston Library side to pass under the sewer along the middle of Broad Street. 

The tunnel used to hold a system of pneumatic tubes that once carried request slips at high speed between the two parts of the library, as well as a continuously-rotating paternoster conveyor belt to move books between the stacks and reading rooms.

Neither system has been used for over ten years, but before this project they continued to take up much of the space along the corridor. The equipment has all been removed, almost doubling the usable space available. Some parts have been saved, and possible options around putting them on public display are now being investigated.