Lower Thames Crossing

The Lower Thames Crossing, or Third Thames Crossing, is a proposed new road crossing of the River Thames estuary linking the county of Kent with the county of Essex through Thurrock. The route was confirmed on 12 April 2017 by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling. It is designed to relieve the pressure on the existing A282 Dartford Crossing. After consideration, changes have been made to the plan to make it less obtrusive: the junction with the A226 has been eliminated, and the upgrade extended to the M2, junction 1.

Lower Thames Crossing
LocationKent/Thurrock/Havering/Essex
ProposerDepartment for Transport
Project websiteHighways England - Lower Thames Crossing
StatusProposed
Typeroad
Cost estimate (high)£8.2bn
Cost estimate (low)£6.4bn
Start date2022
Completion date2027/2028

The crossing itself will cost £6.4-£8.2 billion,[1] but investment in local roads is also likely to be necessary to deal with the predicted increases in traffic once the crossing opens.[2] There is also the issue that the previously proposed Tilbury Link Road and Rest and Service Area have been removed from the LTC project, yet are still being discussed as stand alone projects.

The cost of the proposed LTC is currently more expensive per mile than the HS2 project which is currently predicted to cost £307m per mile of track,[3] the LTC at current predicted costing would be nearly £573.5m per mile.[4]

If built, the tunnel would be the longest road tunnel in the UK.[5] The road number A122 has been identified for the proposed road.[6]

Route

Key elements will be a twin-bore tunnel crossing under the River Thames east of Gravesend and Tilbury (Location C), linked north of the river by a new road to the M25 between junctions 29 and 30 (Route 3) while south of the river the new road will directly join the A2 at Thong east of Gravesend (the Western Southern Link).[7] It will run west of Shorne, not to the east, as a result of consultations.[8]

There will be three junctions: Orsett on the A13, Thong on the A2 and north-bound slip roads on the M25 at junction 29. Junctions have been removed on the A226 south of Chalk and on the A128 at Chadwell St Mary in Essex.[9]

Proposals

In January 2009, the Department for Transport proposed three major options to increase capacity east of London over the River Thames to be built downstream of the existing Dartford Crossing and an additional proposal to increase capacity at the Dartford Crossing.[10]

  • Option A: Building an additional (1 mile) road crossing at the current Dartford Crossing (A282) in addition to the current two tunnels (north) and four-lane bridge (South).
    • Option A Route 14: Proposed tunnel (approximately 7 miles in length, offering a four-lane 70 mph motorway link between the end of the M25 in Essex to the beginning of the M25 in Kent – essentially completing the London Orbital Road). This proposal suggested 40% of strategic long distance traffic would use this new route, significantly freeing up the overcapacity 50 mph A282 crossing. Area covering junctions 2, 1, 31 and 30.
  • Option B: A new road crossing in the Swanscombe Peninsula area, connecting the A2 near Dartford (south) to the A1089 road, north of Tilbury Docks. This option was dropped in 2013 because of the proposed London Resort.
  • Option C: A new road crossing connecting the M2/A2 in the south with the M25, which might be linked via a proposed new Thames flood barrier. The route from the north would pass close to or through North Ockendon, South Ockendon, Orsett, Chadwell St Mary, West Tilbury, East Tilbury, across West Tilbury Marshes before it crossed the Thames just to the east of Gravesend and Thurrock. It would join the M2/A2 in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and in the Special Landscape Area. According to the DfT, this long route would have "considerable environmental impacts". Option C has several variations, three possible routes to the north of the river, known as Option C Routes 1, 2 and 3 respectively. To the south of the river, the two options are known as the Western and Eastern southern links.
  • Also: Increased capacity on the current Dartford Crossing at a lower cost. 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 operating between Gravesend and Tilbury,[11] which predominantly carries foot passengers and bicycles, Monday to Saturday.[12]

2020

Highways England issued revised proposals in 2020 based on the previous Option C. The proposed route would run from the M25 at North Ockendon to the A2 at Thong, including an intermediate junction with the A13 and A1089 roads. The route would be 14.3 miles (23km) including 2.6-mile (4.3km) in twin tunnels, and would be an all-purpose trunk road rather than a motorway.[13]

On 23rd October 2020 Highways England submitted their Development Consent Order application for the proposed Lower Thames Crossing. However, after failing on numerous occasions to provide the Planning Inspectorate with adequate info, they were advised that the Planning Inspectorate would be refusing the application. Highways England instead chose to withdraw the DCO application and carry out further work for a resubmission in 2021.[14]

History

A study on 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 Prosperity.[15]

The Lower Thames Crossing was recommended for further investigation in the 2002 ORBIT Multi-Model Study, which examined orbital transport problems around London.[16][17]

In 2008, Metrotidal Ltd proposed the "Medway-Canvey Island crossing", a £2bn to £4bn combined road and rail tunnel between Medway and Canvey Island that 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.[18]

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.[19]

In January 2009, the Department for Transport published its own proposals.[10]

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.[20] This would presumably be an adaptation of Option C.

In October 2012, plans were announced for the London Resort theme park near Swanscombe. Commenting on road and motorway access to the park, Kent County Council highways chief Councillor Brian Sweetland said that he was looking at a significant variation to Option B: "The possibility of a new Thames Crossing at the Swanscombe peninsula must now be taken very seriously".[21]

On 12 April 2017 the Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling confirmed Option C as the preferred route for the Lower Thames Crossing.[22]

In November 2017, Highways England announced that its 'current thinking' for the design of the route encompassed a number of changes from that of the original public consultation: the route would now avoid a landfill site near Ockendon; the junction with the A13 would be redesigned and the junctions with the A128 and A226 would be removed. Furthermore, the A2 would be widened from its junction with the new crossing approach road to Junction 1 of the M2.[23]

In March 2018 Tim Jones in his position as LTC Project Director confirmed that the proposed LTC would not resolve all the problems both north and south of the river. [24]

In July 2019, Highways England said they expected to submit a planning application in Summer 2020 and had a target for road opening of 2027.[25] On 26 October 2020, Highways England submitted a Development Consent Order for the project.[26] However, it was pulled the following month after the planning inspectorate asked for more information regarding environmental impact and construction plans.[5]

Environmental impact

The Woodland Trust opposes the project and expects twelve ancient woodlands and fifteen veteran trees to be close to or within the development boundary. Some of these are within the Shorne and Ashenbank Woods, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. However, the Trust states that Highways England have not disclosed how many habitats will be affected by the project, and calls for them to release this information.[27] Highways England say that new trees will be planted to replace the lost ancient woodlands.[28]

Essex Wildlife Trust is also opposed. The Trust achnowledges that a bored tunnel avoids direct impact on the wetlands and coastal habitats of the Thames estruary, but states that habitats will be destroyed at the site of the northern entrance to the tunnel. It states that the project will fragment habitats and the noise and light pollution it causes will reduce the remoteness and tranquility of the area. The Trust is also concerned that the project will increase car dependency and induce demand, and that as a result it will not decrease congestion and will lead to increased carbon dioxide emissions.[29]

Traffic modelling by Highways England predicts that constructing the Lower Thames Crossing would reduce the number of cars using the Dartford Tunnel. However, the total number of cars crossing the Thames (via the Lower Thames Crossing and the Dartford Tunnel) would increase.[30]

Carbon dioxide emissions

Highways England initially refused to release emissions figures. However, in response to a freedom of information request in December 2020 it was revealed that construction of the Lower Thames Crossing is expected to release two million tonnes of carbon dioxide. A further 3.2 million tonnes would be emitted by traffic created by the road over sixty years of operation.[31]

See also

References
  1. "Road Investment Strategy 2: 2020–2025" (PDF). p. 90 actual doc page numbering or 96/131 pdf doc numbering.
  2. https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/crossing-to-cost-6-8bn-without-a-penny-for-local-roads-195615/
  3. "The Guardian - At £307m per mile of track, can the cost of HS2 be justified?".
  4. "LTC estimated cost per mile".
  5. Horgan, Rob (27 November 2020). "Revealed: Reasons Lower Thames Crossing plans were pulled". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  6. Lower Thames Crossing - 6.3 Environmental Statement Appendices - Appendix 15.1 Carbon and Energy Plan. "The A122 road", accessed 28 January 2021
  7. Morby, Aaron. "Route picked for £8bn Lower Thames Crossing | Construction Enquirer". www.constructionenquirer.com. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  8. Sandhu, Rajdeep (12 April 2017). "Thames Crossing to go east of Gravesend on Wednesday 12 April 2017". BBC News. 20:07. Retrieved 12 April 2017.CS1 maint: location (link)
  9. "Executive summary" (PDF). Improvements and major road projects:Lower Thames Crossing. Highways England. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  10. "Dartford River Crossing Study into Capacity Requirement". Department for Transport. 20 April 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  11. "Transport – Ferry Services". Thurrock Council. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  12. "Gravesend to Tilbury Passenger Ferry". Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  13. Highways England, Lower Thames Crossing Design Refinement Consultation https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/ltc/design-consultation/
  14. "Planning Inspectorate Meeting Note" (PDF).
  15. Roads for Prosperity. The Department of Transport. p. Table 2.
  16. "The Orbit Multi-Modal Study:Developing a long-term sustainable management strategy for the M25" (PDF). Association for European Transport. 2003. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  17. "M25 LONDON ORBITAL TRANSPORT STUDY REPORTS". www.gov-news.org. 22 November 2002. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  18. "Medway-Canvey Island Thames Crossing, United Kingdom". Road Traffic Technology. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  19. "Time for Action on Lower Thames Crossing". Essex County Council. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  20. "New bridge over Thames 'should link with M11' in Essex". BBC. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  21. Brian, Sweetland (8 October 2012). "Reaction to £2bn Paramount theme park for Kent". Kent Messenger.
  22. "Lower Thames Crossing Consultation". Highways England. 12 April 2017.
  23. "Lower Thames Crossing – In my area". roads.highways.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  24. Tim, Jones. ""...No the Lower Thames Crossing is not going to resolve all of the traffic problems both north or south of the river."".
  25. "Project update – 2018 consultation and next steps for the Lower Thames Crossing". Highways England. 22 July 2019. Archived from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  26. "Lower Thames Crossing planning application submitted". New Civil Engineer. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  27. Trust, Woodland. "Lower Thames Crossing risk to ancient woods". Woodland Trust. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  28. "Lower Thames Crossing Environmental Impacts Update" (PDF). Highways England. 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  29. "Lower Thames Crossing | Essex Wildlife Trust". www.essexwt.org.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  30. "Lower Thames Crossing Traffic Forecasting Report" (PDF). Highways England. 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  31. "Climate change: Lower Thames Crossing CO2 impact figures revealed". BBC News. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.

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