UK to build its largest road tunnel project – which will cost over £9.2 billion
The government has given its first financial thumbs up to the Lower Thames Crossing, which is set to become the country’s largest road tunnel project.
In a statement on Monday (16 June), the government said it will pledge £590 million to the project after finalising consultations in March.
The Lower Thames Crossing will be a new road crossing connecting Kent, Thurrock and Essex. Approximately 14.5 miles (23km) in length, it will connect to the existing road network from the A2/M2 to the M25 with two tunnels (one southbound and one northbound) running beneath the River Thames.
The project includes 14.3 miles of new road and Britain’s longest road tunnel, a 2.6-mile twin-bore tunnel beneath the River Thames.
Designed to be Britain’s greenest road, the Lower Thames Crossing has taken a new approach to road design and building by cutting construction carbon and restoring nature.
The project will create six times more green space than road, including one million new trees, a new community woodland, two new public parks, and seven green bridges that will blend the road into the landscape and connect local communities to the countryside.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the crossing would aid smoother, less congested passage of vital goods from Europe to the UK. The government said it was looking to source private finance to build the project, with construction expected to start in 2026 and continue until 2032.
The Lower Thames Crossing project has been dogged by controversy, with the project first mooted over 16 years ago. An initial consultation process has cost £1.2 billion, and there are now hopes that official government funding will see the project start in earnest. National Highway’s latest financial statements show said the would cost at least £9.2 billion.
“Efficient logistics with minimal delays is critical to the delivery of the government’s growth agenda, and our members are delighted to hear that funding has been made available to start work on the long-planned Lower Thames Crossing, after a decade of holdups at this vital interchange,” said policy director Kevin Green.
“It is imperative that the government also sets out a plan for providing and securing the full funding required to complete the project – our members deserve to be able to deliver efficiently for the industry they support, so that the economy can benefit.”
