Lower Thames Crossing, between Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s largest road tunnel project awarded £590m

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A project to build the UK's largest road tunnel has been granted £590m by the government.

Constructing the Lower Thames Crossing, linking Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent, will cost an estimated £10bn. Plans for the 14.5-mile (23km) route were approved in March after a 16-year process that has already cost £1.2bn.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the crossing would aid "smoother, less congested passage of vital goods from Europe to our regions". It came as part of a £1bn package to improve transport infrastructure across England, announced on Monday.

The government said it was looking to source private finance to build the Lower Thames Crossing, branding it a "national priority".

National Highways hoped the road would reduce traffic at the Dartford Crossing by 20%.

Construction was expected to begin in 2026 ahead of an expected opening by 2032.

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"This is a turning point for our national infrastructure, and we're backing it with funding to support thousands of jobs and connect communities," Reeves said.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander added: "This project is essential for improving the resilience of a key freight route and is critical to our long term trade with Europe."

The road will link the A2 and M2 in Kent with the A13 and M25 in Thurrock. About 2.6 miles (4.2km) of the route is to be underground, with northbound and southbound tunnels running next to each other beneath the Thames.

The funding announcement was welcomed by Logistics UK, which represents the transport and logistics sector.

"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."

However, campaigners have raised concerns about ancient woodland being impacted by the works.

Chris Todd, director of Transport Action Network, previously said the decision was "absolute madness". He added: "The only way that the government can afford this white elephant would be to take money from all the other nations and regions in the UK."

[a-driver]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s largest road tunnel project awarded £590m

A project to build the UK's largest road tunnel has been granted £590m by the government.

Constructing the Lower Thames Crossing, linking Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent, will cost an estimated £10bn. Plans for the 14.5-mile (23km) route were approved in March after a 16-year process that has already cost £1.2bn.

"A 16-year process already costing £1.2bn"..... and this is why the country is an embarrassment when it comes to infrastructure.

[Witham Bobby]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s largest road tunnel project awarded £590m

 [SNIP]

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Interesting illustration of a 14 mile long tunnel

[Chris from Nailsea]

To be fair, only

About 2.6 miles (4.2km) of the route is to be underground, with northbound and southbound tunnels running next to each other beneath the Thames

but yes, it is a rather 'artistic license' illustrative image.

[Clan Line]

Looks nice - once they decide where they are going to put it..............

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[JayMac]

Well, they could put a bridge across the lower Dart. Not sure how they'd fit the approaches in though. They'd have to bulldoze much of Kingswear and Dartmouth.

[TaplowGreen]

Looks nice - once they decide where they are going to put it..............

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The new Diane Abbott?

[stuving]

The new Diane Abbott?

I don't think the Chief Secretary's job demands an understanding of where the money is being spent - she just has to stop it wherever possible.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Lower Thames Crossing tunnelling 'to begin in 2028'

[Image from here is not available to guests]

The tunnelling process for the Lower Thames Crossing is due to begin in 2028.

National Highways said negotiations to buy one of the world's largest tunnelling machines were now under way.

It would be capable of digging 60 metres below the Thames, creating a new road link between Essex and Kent, and now enables the project to secure private sector investment to deliver the remainder of the construction.

Next summer, work on the northern tunnel entrance where the tunnel machine will begin its journey will get under way.

Matt Palmer, the Highways Agency's executive director of the Lower Thames Crossing project, said the crossing was now on track to be built "in the early 2030s".

The 16.4-metre-wide tunnel boring machine will excavate one of the widest tunnels in the world and it will create the longest road tunnel in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).

Tenders are now being welcomed from prospective suppliers who could build the tunnel boring machine.

[stuving]

There's a more technical article about it here from Born to Engineer:

The Lower Thames Crossing will consist of a 14.5-mile (23km) road linking the A2 and M2 in Kent with the A13 and M25 in Thurrock, Essex. The project’s centrepiece is a twin-bore tunnel under the River Thames between Gravesend in Kent and Tilbury in Essex.

At 2.6 miles (4.2km) long, these tunnels will become the longest road tunnels in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom). Each tunnel will carry three lanes of traffic in one direction with a 70mph speed limit. Approximately 80% of the route will run through tunnels, cuttings, or embankments to minimize visual impact on the surrounding landscape.

The tunnels will be 16.4 meters (54 feet) in diameter, making them the longest among the country’s most extensive road tunnels. The significant diameter is required to accommodate three full traffic lanes in each direction while maintaining safety standards for modern highway design.

National Highways, which will oversee the project, plans to begin construction in 2026, with completion targeted for 2032. The project has been divided into three main construction packages:

    Roads North of the Thames: Balfour Beatty secured this £1.2 billion contract in January 2023 to construct 10 miles (16km) of highways connecting the M25 at Junction 29 and the A13 with the northern tunnel entrance.
    Kent Roads: In July 2023, Skanska was awarded this £450 million contract to build 3.7 miles (6.0km) of roads connecting the A2/M2 to the southern tunnel entrance.
    Tunnels and Approaches: In December 2023, a joint venture between Bouygues and J. Murphy & Sons won this £1.3 billion contract. To save engineering costs, the consortium plans to use a single tunnel boring machine for both tunnel bores, turning it around and reusing it after completing the first tunnel.

It says there that "the consortium plans to use a single tunnel boring machine for both tunnel bores, turning it around and reusing it", and there is more about that later on. I suspect that the final choice of reset method (that one, or take its head off and reverse out) will be for the makers to offer in their tender.

[Mark A]

"UK^▸ (United Kingdom)’s public spending watchdog to investigate Lower Thames Crossing project."

Mark

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jul/12/public-spending-watchdog-investigate-lower-thames-crossing-project

[eightonedee]

"UK^▸ (United Kingdom)’s public spending watchdog to investigate Lower Thames Crossing project"

Are they just opening one before construction starts on the assumption they'll need it in due course when it costs at least double the estimated cost to actually build it?

[Chris from Nailsea]

That's rather the principle I follow when I might perhaps start a topic here today, about 'Infrastructure problems between Paddington and Reading, 2027 - ongoing discussion".

CfN^▸ (Chris from Nailsea, an administrator on this forum). 

[stuving]

"UK^▸ (United Kingdom)’s public spending watchdog to investigate Lower Thames Crossing project"

Are they just opening one before construction starts on the assumption they'll need it in due course when it costs at least double the estimated cost to actually build it?

The quote refers to "audit work", so presumably this will lead to an audit report. The NAO does those as routine, based on the amount of money being spent - the clue is in the word "audit". They do responsive and value for money reports too, where there is an issue to investigate, but I don't think that can arise before the money has been spent.