A new £750 million tunnel could be built under the Thames in East London.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has today (14 October 2014) reaffirmed his commitment for a series of vital new river crossings to be delivered in east London.
The Silvertown tunnel is a key part of the plans and is now progressing to the next stage with a consultation that starts tomorrow (15 October 2014) on detailed proposals. By delivering a new road link beneath the Thames, Silvertown tunnel would connect the Greenwich Peninsula with the Royal Docks – two of the Mayor’s key Opportunity Areas for thousands of new homes and jobs.
According to Transport for London (TfL), the capital’s population is forecast to grow to 10 million people by 2030, and with much of this growth due to take place in east London, demand for crossing the river will increase.
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This consultation represents an important step forward for the Silvertown plans, with an application to government for approval to build the tunnel planned for December 2015. In recognition of its significance for the future development of London, this project has been designated a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) by government. If approved, construction could start in 2017 and take four years to complete at an estimated cost of around £750m.
Boris Johnson said: “The Silvertown Tunnel would provide a vital new link beneath the Thames from two of our city’s great opportunity areas for new homes and jobs - Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks. It has quite rightly been classified by the government as a project of national significance and today we’re a step closer in making our vision a reality. Unless new river crossings are provided, the huge growth potential of east London will not be realised, which is why I have asked TfL to also take forward further work on two new river crossings to the east of the Silvertown tunnel at Gallions Reach and Belvedere. These new crossings will be essential not just for east London, but for the capital as a whole and its continued success as the motor of the UK economy.”
The Mayor and TfL are also planning for new road crossings to the east of Silvertown, which have been the subject of a recent consultation. Initial findings from this consultation suggest strong public support to develop plans for crossings at both Gallions Reach and Belvedere.
