Critics warn of ‘traffic nightmare’ as Silvertown Tunnel opens
A £2billion road tunnel under the River Thames will be a “traffic nightmare” and worsen pollution from the moment it opens, a London Assembly Member has said.
Today marks the official opening of the Silvertown Road Tunnel, which will see cars and lorries pass between Greenwich on the south side of the river and Newham in the north.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, and Transport for London (TfL) claim the new crossing is needed to relieve congestion from the nearby Blackwall Tunnel and that tolls on both the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels will mitigate any potential increase in traffic.
But the project has been the subject of much controversy since it was approved by the Government in 2018.
Concerns have been raised by climate activists, scientists and politicians that the Silvertown Tunnel will increase levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon emissions and particulate matter in the area as more vehicles, including lorries, use the crossing.
Caroline Russell, a Green party London Assembly member, has been campaigning against the tunnel for years.
She said: “The opening of Silvertown Road Tunnel is a reminder of the £2billion wasted on a project that nobody in London has shown any real enthusiasm for.
“Londoners deserve so much more than this. We need river crossings that prioritise clean air, safe walking and cycling with affordable public transport rather than this traffic-inducing road tunnel.”
She also dismissed the tunnel’s cycle shuttle service as a “clunky” and “impractical” attempt to “compensate for a fundamentally flawed project”.
The £2million ‘bike bus’ will run through the tunnel every 12 minutes, seven days a week from today.
Lorna Murphy, Director of Buses at TfL, said the free service will help cyclists to cross the river safely and “encourage more active travel across the area”.
But, Ms Russell said: “Expecting people to get off their bikes, wait up to 12 minutes and then lug their bikes onto a bus is ridiculous, especially when the entire area around the tunnel is dangerous for cycling and filled with high-risk junctions.
“This could easily have been solved with a proper route across the river for people walking and cycling.”
Sir Sadiq has insisted the tunnel will transform travel, with “faster, more reliable journey times, reduced congestion and improved air quality, with enhanced public transport links through zero-emission cross-river buses”.
TfL has set out a package of concessions and discounts for the Silvertown tunnel opening.
Londoners on low incomes can apply for a 50 per cent discount if they live in Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark. They need to be in receipt of a Government benefit such as income support or jobseekers’ allowance.
NHS staff and patients will be able to get the charge reimbursed. Small businesses in Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich can apply for a £1 discount on the off-peak charge for at least a year.
Pictured top: Silvertown Tunnel Newham Portal entrance (Picture: TfL)