Back in Nov 2014 I posted the topic 'More Tunnels for London'.
Today, updated plans for the 'Lower Thames Crossing route' have been revealed by Highways England. The road network project will include a 3.8km long tunnel.
From the Evening Standard -
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/tra...to-be-biggest-road-project-a3957996.html'The crossing will include a six lane tolled tunnel 2.4 miles long under the Thames between Gravesend and Tilbury – the longest road tunnel in the UK – and, at over 15m wide, the third largest bored tunnel in the world.'
To reduce the visual impact, in the new plan the tunnel has been lengthened by 600m to 3.8km.
This will make it 40m longer than the 3.24km Queensway tunnel, which was also bored, by hand, 90 odd years or so, earlier.
Set to open in 2027, the estimate has now risen to £6.8 Billion pounds.
It is attracting the usual comments about new jobs, traffic relief, traffic congestion, green belt etc. especially from the people of Thurrock.
Basildon Echo -
https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/16...ll-fight-new-lower-thames-crossing-plan/Neither of these articles seem to mention where the money is coming from.
Transport secretary Chris Grayling said: “We are making the biggest investment in improving our roads since the 1970s, ensuring journeys are quicker and safer. The Lower Thames Crossing will help transform journeys, create new business opportunities in Kent and Essex and unlock productivity across the UK.
“It will also cut congestion at the Dartford Crossing and improve connectivity from our industrial heartland to our ports in the South East.â€
The expenditure here must be ok as it's North/South expenditure, except that it's across the Thames and not the Pennines.
Sometimes it's called 'The third Thames crossing'. This actually refers to the Thames crossings in Kent and does not include the twenty or more Thames crossings in central and south west London.
With that kind of counting, I'm sure we can only expect the estimate to increase.
It will be interesting to see what the toll fees will be and when its building costs are expected to be paid off.
