Mon, 16 Jun 2025

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 UK's largest road tunnel project awarded £590m

Work on the Lower Thames Crossing is expected to begin in 2026 and finish by 2032.

* The UK government has granted £590m towards a £10bn project to build the Lower Thames Crossing, a 14.5-mile road tunnel connecting Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent.
* Plans for the project were approved in March after a 16-year process that has already cost £1.2bn.
* The crossing is expected to reduce traffic at the Dartford Crossing by 20% and aid "smoother, less congested passage of vital goods from Europe to our regions".
* Construction is due to begin in 2026, with an estimated opening by 2032.
* The project will link the A2 and M2 in Kent with the A13 and M25 in Thurrock, with 2.6 miles of the route underground.
* The funding announcement was welcomed by Logistics UK, but campaigners have raised concerns about ancient woodland being impacted by the works.
* National Highways estimates the cost of the project will be between £9.2 billion and £10.2 billion, depending on the funding model chosen.
  >>