Silvertown Tunnel

The Silvertown Tunnel is a road tunnel under construction beneath the River Thames between the Greenwich Peninsula and west Silvertown.

Silvertown Tunnel
Exploratory boreholes on the site in 2014
Overview
LocationSilvertown / Greenwich Peninsula
Coordinates51°30′17″N 00°00′29″E
StatusBoring complete
RouteA1020
StartLondon Borough of Newham
EndRoyal Borough of Greenwich
Operation
OwnerTransport for London
OperatorRiverlinx
TrafficAutomotive, no pedestrians or cyclists
Technical
Length1.4 km
No. of lanes2 lanes per bore (twin bore)
Route map

It is being promoted by Transport for London and will be delivered through a design, build, finance and maintain contract by the Riverlinx consortium. The tunnel is intended to reduce congestion through the Blackwall Tunnel and both tunnels will be tolled when it opens in 2025.[1] The contract for construction was awarded in November 2019.

The tunnel will include dedicated lanes for heavy goods vehicles and buses. There will not be pedestrian or cycle access [2] but a shuttle bus is being considered for cyclists. All future bus routes that will use the tunnel will be zero emission.[3]

Route

The design is for a twin-bore tunnel to connect the A1020 Silvertown Way/Lower Lea Crossing on the north side with the A102 road Blackwall Tunnel Approach on the south side, on an alignment similar to the London cable car.[4] Lane 1 will be dedicated to buses and goods vehicles over 7.5t, while lane 2 will be available for all traffic. The proposed tunnel would affect access to Thames Wharf station proposed as part of the Docklands Light Railway's London City Airport extension.[5]

Cost

In 2012, the cost was stated to be £600m.[6] A consultation in 2015 stated that the cost of construction was estimated to be £1bn.[7] In March 2020, the cost was increased again, to £1.2 billion.[8] Operation, maintenance and financial costs of the tunnel over 25 years is expected to cost another £1bn.[9]

Opposition

The tunnel has been criticised by opponents who fear it will increase levels of traffic, in turn increasing air pollution. Green Party member and councillor Caroline Russell expressed concern that as the cost of the tunnel would be covered by tolling, future mayors of London will want to keep traffic levels high in order to pay this off. The lack of walking or cycling facilities in the tunnel has been criticised. A planned pedestrian and cyclist bridge from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf, the Rotherhithe crossing, was cancelled in 2019.[10]

Plans submitted in 2019 suggested 19 trees would be removed. However, revised plans submitted in 2021 suggested over 100 trees would be removed to construct the tunnel and access roads.[11]

Political opposition

Green Party:

  • Cllr Scott Ainslie, former Green MEP for London and councillor on Lambeth Council.[12]
  • Jonathan Bartley, former Co-leader of the Green Party and Leader of the Opposition on Lambeth Council.[13]
  • Cllr Siân Berry, Green Party member of the London Assembly and Leader of the Green Group on Camden Council.[14]
  • Cllr Caroline Russell, Green Party member on the London Assembly and Leader of the Opposition on Islington Council.[15]
  • Zack Polanski, Green Party member of the London Assembly.

Conservative Party:

Liberal Democrats:

Labour Party:

Campaign groups

The tunnel is opposed by the 'No to the Silvertown Tunnel' campaign, and more recently the Stop the Silvertown Tunnel Coalition which claims that it would generate more traffic and more congestion, and lead to more air pollution.[31]

Friends of the Earth have been lobbying Tower Hamlets Borough Council to reject the proposal.[32]

In July 2020, Extinction Rebellion protesters locked themselves to a drilling rig, calling on Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to halt the project amidst environmental concerns.[33] In April 2021, 52 academics and campaigners sent a joint open letter to transport secretary Grant Shapps and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan seeking an "emergency review" of the proposed tunnel's environmental impact.[34]

History

It was proposed that the project should be reviewed in 2006 following the completion of the Thames Gateway Bridge.[35] The then London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, supported the scheme in principle and expressed a preference that the link be a road tunnel. The Mayor's Transport Strategy stated that construction of the link would follow the implementation of the subsequently cancelled Thames Gateway Bridge.[36]

A public consultation on the Silvertown Tunnel and the Gallions Reach Ferry took place between February and March 2012.[37] A further consultation was conducted from 29 October 2012 to 1 February 2013.[38]

A consultation on tolling both the Silvertown and the Blackwall tunnels opened in October 2014.[39] Following a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project inquiry,[40] the government approved the proposal in May 2018,[41] and the contract was awarded in November 2019 to the Riverlinx consortium.[42]

Construction began in March 2021.[43] The southbound tunnel drive was completed in January 2023, and the northbound tunnel drive was completed in August 2023.[44] Overall construction is due for completion in 2025.[34]

Public transport

When Transport for London applied for permission to build the tunnel, it proposed that five bus routes would use it. However, in October 2022 plans for bus routes were revealed with only two routes using the tunnel, with only one route providing stops either side of the river.[45] Route X239 will run an express section between Blackheath (Sun in the Sands) and Leamouth/East India via the tunnel.[46] The X239 route was later announced as part of the Superloop scheme and is now known as route SL4. Traffic modelling in 2016 was based on around 37 buses using the tunnels but this was later reduced to 20 buses during peak times.[45]

Charges

Charging will begin when the tunnel opens in 2025 and will coincide with the introduction of tolling to the adjacent Blackwall Tunnel. Charges were expected to be similar to the Dartford Crossing.[47] As of June 2023, charges for the Dartford Crossing are £2/£2.50 for cars, depending on method of payment,[48] Signs submitted by TfL for approval, with prices suggested in 2015, appeared to show that vehicles using the tunnel between 6am and 10pm will be charged £4 (cars), £3.50 (motorcycles) or £8.50 (other vehicles) for a single journey.[49] The charges are expected to be agreed in 2024 and the system available for drivers to register.[50] Allowing for inflation, the suggested £4 charge for cars is likely to be £5.25 in 2025.[51] Discounts for residents in Greenwich, Newham and Tower Hamlets were considered in 2015 and rejected. In October 2023 the Mayor of London proposed a discount for low-income residents.[52]

See also

References
  1. "Improvements and Projects - Silvertown Tunnel". Transport for London. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  2. "£1bn Silvertown tunnel 'to slash Blackwall traffic and air pollution'". Evening Standard. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  3. "Improvements and Projects - Silvertown Tunnel". Transport for London. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  4. "River Crossings: Silvertown Tunnel - Supporting technical documentation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014. The proposed northern Silvertown tunnel portal is located close to the site safeguarded for a potential Thames Wharf DLR station and its potential impact on pedestrian access routes to the station needs to be considered
  5. "Tolls proposed to part-fund new East London river crossings". Transport Xtra. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  6. "Have your say on the Silvertown Tunnel scheme - Transport for London - Citizen Space". consultations.tfl.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  7. Kelly, Megan (10 March 2020). "Silvertown Tunnel contract increases by £200m". Construction News. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  8. Taylor, Matthew (16 September 2020). "Thames tunnel will cost nearly £2bn over 30 years, TfL figures show". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  9. "Silvertown Tunnel campaigners gear up for last stand". The Guardian. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  10. "Riverlinx plan additional tree felling for Silvertown Tunnel". Murky Depths. 24 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  11. "Scott writes for Bright Green: Labour needs to scrap the Silvertown Tunnel". www.scottainsliemep.org.uk.
  12. @jon_bartley (12 May 2018). "Astonishing complacency from Sec of State Chris Grayling over toxic air pollution & the Silvertown Tunnel.…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. "Siân Berry Archives".
  14. "Toxic Silvertown Tunnel should be rejected, say senior London Greens". london.greenparty.org.uk. 5 October 2015.
  15. @AndrewBoff (29 January 2020). "Today I supported a motion to oppose Sadiq Khan's Silvertown Tunnel. An ill-thought-out project bankrolled by a do…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. "Zac Goldsmith unveils plan 'to keep London moving'". MayorWatch. 30 March 2016.
  17. "Siobhan Benita launches campaign to become next London Mayor". London Liberal Democrats. 16 February 2020.
  18. @EdwardJDavey (19 June 2020). "Part of my green revolution is a huge increase in sustainable transport. We must move away from fossil fuels and…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. "Luisa Porritt: Silvertown Tunnel makes a mockery of Khan's green credentials". 4 December 2020.
  20. "Silvertown tunnel an 'environmental betrayal', say Lib Dems". The Guardian. 2 March 2020.
  21. "Air Pollution: London - UK Parliament". Hansard. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  22. Leeming, Lachlan (5 February 2020). "West Ham MP slams Silvertown Tunnel plans". Newham Recorder.
  23. Sheridan, Ed (28 December 2019). "Greenwich Council leader rejected cross-borough alliance to stop Silvertown Tunnel". 853.
  24. King, Jon (6 August 2019). "Sadiq Khan urged to rethink £1bn Silvertown Tunnel project". Newham Recorder.
  25. "Revealed: Hackney's last-ditch attempt to stop Silvertown Tunnel rebuffed by other councils". 27 December 2019.
  26. "Pressure mounts on Sadiq Khan as third MP opposes Silvertown Tunnel". NewsShopper. 4 December 2020.
  27. "Southwark Council oppose Silvertown Tunnel plans". 17 December 2015.
  28. "Why I cannot support the Mayor of London's Silvertown Tunnel proposals". 6 January 2016.
  29. https://twitter.com/johnmcdonnellmp/status/1224751571558334469
  30. "No to Silvertown Tunnel". No to Silvertown Tunnel.
  31. "Friends of the Earth urges Mayor John Biggs to fight Silvertown Tunnel". 14 September 2016.
  32. Busby, Mattha; Murray, Jessica (25 July 2020). "Three Extinction Rebellion activists held after Thames rig protest". The Guardian.
  33. Horgan, Robert (22 April 2021). "DfT urged to sanction 'emergency review' of Silvertown Tunnel". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  34. "Thames Gateway River Crossings". Transport for London. Archived from the original on 25 November 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2006.
  35. "Silvertown Link". Archived from the original on 5 July 2007. Retrieved 24 February 2006. A rolling construction programme would see the project team for Thames Gateway Bridge moved straight on to Silvertown Link.
  36. "River Crossings". The information on this web page relates to a consultation that was undertaken in February/March 2012.
  37. "Have your say on the proposal for a new tunnel under the Thames at Silvertown - Transport for London - Citizen Space". consultations.tfl.gov.uk.
  38. "Silvertown Tunnel: Toll Consultation To Be Launched". The Londonist. 14 October 2014.
  39. National Infrastructure Planning https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/london/silvertown-tunnel/?ipcsection=docs
  40. "The Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2018/574
  41. "TfL completes contract with Riverlinx consortium to design, build, finance and maintain Silvertown Tunnel". Transport for London. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  42. Construction work begins on Sadiq Khan’s Silvertown Tunnel 13 March 2021, 853.london, accessed 5 May 2021
  43. 4 August 2023, Ground Engineering, accessed 4 August 2023
  44. Chamberlain, Darryl (21 October 2022). "Planned Silvertown Tunnel bus network revealed - with no promised route to Eltham". 853. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  45. Marius, Callum (18 November 2022). "London buses: New express route for Canary Wharf and South East London as TfL plans for Silvertown Tunnel revealed". MyLondon. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  46. Chamberlain, Darryl (19 December 2020). "TfL to look again at traffic impact of Silvertown Tunnel". 853. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  47. "Pay the Dartford Crossing charge (Dart Charge)". gov.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  48. "Car drivers to be charged £4 toll to use Blackwall Tunnel". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  49. "First new road crossing east of Tower Bridge in over 30 years". Institution of Civil Engineers. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  50. "Drivers could be charged £5.25 to use Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels, Sadiq Khan suggests". ITVX. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  51. "Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels: Mayor proposes discount for some users". BBC News. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
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