This afternoon I met the Lower Thames Crossing team to discuss the ten-week consultation into their latest proposals. I am keen to hear constituents' views on the crossing, specifically what kinds of measures they would like to see to mitigate any negative impact on our constituency. I want to link the LTC team up with the Thames Chase management to see whether we can get support for their Land of the Fans project or any additional funds for tree planting and forestry. Further details of the consultation are below.
Lower Thames Crossing to boost road capacity by 90 per cent
A major new road linking Kent, Thurrock and Essex would nearly double road capacity across the river Thames and almost halve northbound journey times at Dartford Crossing, under updated plans released by Highways England today.
The multi-billion pound project will connect communities, boost the economy and add vital extra resilience to the road network while reducing pressure on the existing Dartford Crossing. It is set to be the most ambitious road project since the M25 opened 30 years ago and will include the UK’s longest road tunnel. 47,000 people had their say in a previous consultation on the proposals – a record for a UK road scheme. A new, ten-week consultation on the latest designs for the improvements will start on Wednesday 10 October and run until Thursday 20 December.
The improved proposals published today include:
• Making the whole route a three-lane dual carriageway to improve traffic-flow;
• A new rest and service area to the west of East Tilbury;
• A new design for the Tilbury junction, removing the proposed Tilbury link road to reduce traffic on the local road network, and;
• An improved junction with the A2.
The 14.5 mile route connecting Gravesham in Kent and Thurrock in Essex is expected to reduce traffic at Dartford by 22 per cent with 14 million fewer vehicles using it every year. It will almost halve the morning peak average journey times between M25 junctions 1b and 31 from nine minutes to just five.
All information is available online at www.lowerthamescrossing.co.uk/haveyoursay
