Silvertown tunnel opening date confirmed as drivers prepare for new charges

The official opening date for the Silvertown tunnel has been announced by Transport for London (TfL) today.

With construction coming to an end, the new tunnel, which links Silvertown in east London to the Greenwich Peninsula, will open on April 7.

This gives drivers four months to prepare for the new charges, which will be levied for each journey under the Thames.

A peak hours charge of £4 will be imposed on northbound trips from 6am to 10am and southbound trips from 4pm to 7pm on weekdays.

There will be an off-peak rate of £1.50 at all other times between 6am and 10pm, including at weekends.

There will be no charge between 10pm and 6am on any day of the week.

The same charges will also be levied for the first time on the nearby Blackwall tunnel.

The Blackwall tunnel – which carries traffic under the Thames in two two-lane tunnels, one northbound and one southbound – has been free to use since it first opened in 1897.

TfL said the charges were necessary to ensure traffic levels did not increase as a result of drivers using one uncharged crossing.

TfL has set out a package of concessions and discounts for when the Silvertown tunnel opens.

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.

Drivers will have to register their vehicle with TfL’s free “Auto Pay” system to obtain the off-peak discount. Drivers who fail to use Auto Pay will be charged £4 throughout the day.

Drivers who fail to pay the correct levy face a £180 fine, reduced to £90 if paid within a fortnight.

Minibuses, coaches, black taxis, drivers with “blue badges” and minicabs that can take wheelchairs or are “zero emission capable” will be exempt.

Stuart Harvey, chief capital officer at Transport for London said: “The tunnel is on track to open in the coming months and is a testament to brilliant and ground-breaking engineering.

“The new tunnel, along with the initial user charges, discounts and exemptions, will support growth in the area and provide new public transport connections across the river.”

New bus routes serving the tunnel, including the Superloop 4 (SL4) between Canary Wharf and Grove Park, will also launch on April 7.

The introduction of these new buses will increase the hourly number of buses able to cross the river from six to 21.

Bus routes serving the Silvertown tunnel will be free for at least the first year, TfL said.

Cyclists will not be allowed to ride through the Silvertown tunnel but can load their bike onto a zero-emission shuttle service, which will also be free for at least the first year.

The Silvertown tunnel has been designed and built by the Riverlinx consortium, which will also operate and maintain the twin-bore tunnel on behalf of TfL.

For more information, please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/silvertown-tunnel

Pictured top: Inside the new Silvertown Tunnel (Picture: TfL)