Lower Thames Crossing
Encyclopedia
The Lower Thames Crossing is a proposed new crossing of the Thames estuary linking the county of Kent
with the county of Essex
at or east of the existing Dartford crossing
.
and an additional proposal to increase capacity at the Dartford Crossing.
Advocates of the proposal argue that a new crossing is needed to alleviate congestion at the Dartford Crossing.
Currently, there is a ferry service
operating between Gravesend and Tilbury, that predominantly carries foot passengers and the occasional light motorcycle, subject to space limitations.
The routes can be viewed on this Google Maps overlay
In October 2010 a study commissioned by Kent County Council proposed that the northern end of the crossing should bypass the M25 and continue on to connect to the M11 (and Stansted Airport) directly. This would presumably be an adaptation of Option C.
.
The Lower Thames Crossing was recommended for further investigation in the 2002, ORBIT multi-modal study which examined orbital transport problems around London.
In 2008 Metrotidal Ltd proposed the 'Medway-Canvey Island crossing', a £2bn to £4bn combined road and rail tunnel between Medway
and Canvey Island
which would include a surge-tide barrier and a tidal power plant which was supported by Kent County Council
, Essex County Council, the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership and the Department for Transport
.
Following delays in any proposal being put forward by central government, Essex and Kent County Councils intend to create a joint proposal for the construction of a crossing.
In January 2009 the Department for Transport published its own proposals.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
with the county of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
at or east of the existing Dartford crossing
Dartford Crossing
The Dartford - Thurrock River Crossing, Dartford River Crossing is a major road crossing of the River Thames in England, connecting Dartford in the south to Thurrock in the north, via two road tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. It opened in stages, the west tunnel in 1963, the east tunnel...
.
Description
In January 2009 the Department for Transport proposed three major options to increase capacity east of London over the Thames, to be built downstream of the existing Dartford CrossingDartford Crossing
The Dartford - Thurrock River Crossing, Dartford River Crossing is a major road crossing of the River Thames in England, connecting Dartford in the south to Thurrock in the north, via two road tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. It opened in stages, the west tunnel in 1963, the east tunnel...
and an additional proposal to increase capacity at the Dartford Crossing.
- Option A: Building an additional road crossing at the current Dartford Crossing and removing the old Dartford crossing tunnels from the strategic road network.
- Option B: A new road crossing in the SwanscombeSwanscombeSwanscombe is a small town, part of the Borough of Dartford on the north Kent coast in England. It is part of the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe.-Prehistory:...
Peninsula area, connecting the A2A2 road (Great Britain)The A2 is a major road in southern England, connecting London with the English Channel port of Dover in Kent. This route has always been of importance as a connection between the British capital of London and sea trade routes to Continental Europe...
near Dartford (south) to the A1089 road, north of Tilbury Docks. - Option C: A new road crossing connecting the M2 motorway and M20 motorwayM20 motorwayThe M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
s in the south with the M25. This might be linked via a proposed new Thames flood barrier. The route from the north would pass close to South OckendonSouth OckendonSouth Ockendon is settlement and Church of England parish in the Thurrock borough and unitary district in Essex in the East of England, United Kingdom.-History:...
, OrsettOrsettOrsett is a village and ecclesiastical parish located within Thurrock unitary district in Essex, England, situated around 5 km north-east of Grays...
, Chadwell St MaryChadwell St MaryChadwell-St-Mary is a dispersed settlement in the unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex, England. It is one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock and former civil parish. It is a few miles east of the town of Grays and is located north of the modern town of Tilbury which was part of the parish...
, West TilburyWest TilburyWest Tilbury is a village situated on the top of a river terrace overlooking the river Thames. The modern town of Tilbury is mainly in the traditional parish of Chadwell St Mary.-Location and administration:...
, East TilburyEast TilburyEast Tilbury is a village in the unitary authority of Thurrock borough, England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock.-History:In Saxon times, the location on which the church now stands was surrounded by tidal marshland...
, across West Tilbury Marshes before crossing the Thames just to the east of GravesendGravesend, KentGravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
and ThurrockThurrockThurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council....
. It would join the M2 in the Kent DownsKent DownsKent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Kent, England . They are the eastern half of the North Downs and stretch from the London/Surrey borders to the White Cliffs of Dover...
Area of Outstanding Natural BeautyArea of Outstanding Natural BeautyAn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
and in the Special Landscape AreaSpecial Landscape AreaA Special Landscape Area is a non-statutory conservation designation used by local government in some parts of the United Kingdom to categorise sensitive landscapes which are, either legally or as a matter of policy, protected from development or other man-made influences.The term is commonly used...
. This proposed link is also within the Kent Downs AONB and special landscape area. According to the DfT this long route would have "considerable environmental impacts". - Also: Increased capacity on the current Dartford Crossing at a lower cost, however this option did not accommodate the predicted traffic growth in the longer term.
Advocates of the proposal argue that a new crossing is needed to alleviate congestion at the Dartford Crossing.
Currently, there is a ferry service
Gravesend - Tilbury Ferry
The Gravesend - Tilbury Ferry is a passenger ferry across the River Thames east of London. It links Gravesend and Tilbury, and is the last publicly accessible crossing point before the Thames reaches the sea.-History:see also notes on Tilbury...
operating between Gravesend and Tilbury, that predominantly carries foot passengers and the occasional light motorcycle, subject to space limitations.
The routes can be viewed on this Google Maps overlay
In October 2010 a study commissioned by Kent County Council proposed that the northern end of the crossing should bypass the M25 and continue on to connect to the M11 (and Stansted Airport) directly. This would presumably be an adaptation of Option C.
History
A study in a Lower Thames Crossing providing 'relief to east side of the M25 between Kent and Essex' was included in the 1989 white paper Roads for ProsperityRoads for Prosperity
Roads for Prosperity was a controversial white paper published by the Conservative UK Government in 1989 detailing the 'largest road building program for the UK since the Romans' produced in response to rapid increases in car ownership and use over the previous decade...
.
The Lower Thames Crossing was recommended for further investigation in the 2002, ORBIT multi-modal study which examined orbital transport problems around London.
In 2008 Metrotidal Ltd proposed the 'Medway-Canvey Island crossing', a £2bn to £4bn combined road and rail tunnel between Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
and Canvey Island
Canvey Island
Canvey Island is a civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary in England. It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks...
which would include a surge-tide barrier and a tidal power plant which was supported by Kent County Council
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
, Essex County Council, the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership and the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
.
Following delays in any proposal being put forward by central government, Essex and Kent County Councils intend to create a joint proposal for the construction of a crossing.
In January 2009 the Department for Transport published its own proposals.
See also
- Crossings of the River ThamesCrossings of the River ThamesThis is a list of crossings of the River Thames including bridges, tunnels and ferries. There are 214 bridges, over 20 tunnels, six public ferries and one ford.-Barrier and boundary:...
- Dartford CrossingDartford CrossingThe Dartford - Thurrock River Crossing, Dartford River Crossing is a major road crossing of the River Thames in England, connecting Dartford in the south to Thurrock in the north, via two road tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. It opened in stages, the west tunnel in 1963, the east tunnel...
- M25 motorwayM25 motorwayThe M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
- Thames GatewayThames GatewayThe Thames Gateway is an area of land stretching east from inner east London on both sides of the River Thames and the Thames Estuary. The area, which includes much brownfield land, has been designated a national priority for urban regeneration, taking advantage of the development opportunities...
- Thames Gateway BridgeThames Gateway BridgeThe Thames Gateway Bridge was a proposed crossing over the River Thames in east London, England. It was first mooted in the 1970s but never came to fruition...
- Thames estuaryThames EstuaryThe Thames Mouth is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea.It is not easy to define the limits of the estuary, although physically the head of Sea Reach, near Canvey Island on the Essex shore is probably the western boundary...
External links
- Dartford River Crossing Study - 20 April 2009
- Multi-billion pound tunnel plan BBC News (2008-02-12)
- Third Thames crossing 'overdue' BBC News (2006-10-26)
- 'Gridlock ahead' without crossing BBC News (2006-10-09)