First Silvertown road crossing tunnel to Greenwich completes
The first of two tunnels being dug beneath the Thames for the Silvertown tunnel has completed its journey to Greenwich.
Private consortium Riverlinx are constructing the £2 billion tunnels with costs set to be recouped via tolls both at the new tunnel and the Blackwall tunnel.
Work is now set to proceed on turning around the tunnel boring machine for tunnel number two.
It’s also emerged that while north of the Thames construction spoil is being removed by barge, that has completely ceased in Greenwich since 2022 which is now contributing to high levels of HGV movements south of the Thames.
That ensures Quarter 3 this year is set to see 10,000 lorry journeys made in Greenwich.
In other news, TfL’s costs while work is underway before opening has increased by £13 million over the past year.
Transport for London have cut back on planned bus levels through the future tunnel from 37.5 per hour to 20. One is an existing route (the 108) leaving just two additional routes – and both of those all but ignore much of Greenwich borough.
£13 million could have assisted with greater services to areas of growth in Greenwich borough such as Charlton riverside where the first of 8,000 homes is set to shortly begin.
Eltham and Kidbrooke are also set to see no cross-river buses.
Once again its hard not to see the south of the Thames getting the raw deal, with no usage of barges to transport waste, proposed bus services avoiding much of the area and all traffic upon completion using the same existed and congested road network through Greenwich borough.
Main image courtesy Riverlinx
The 108 will continue to use the old tunnels.
I’m impressed how much of Greenwich borough is avoided by those bus route proposals. It’s as though TFL actively avoided all areas of growth in the borough. The X239 does its best to serve Lewisham then becomes an express as soon as it enters Greenwich borough. The 108 already exists so zero change there and the 129 goes nowhere useful upon crossing Silvertown compared to the other side where it links new developments to the DLR. It’s SO clearly for east London and not most of south east London.
Greenwich council really were sold a lemon. They will now see far more vehicles passing through the borough and heading off the A102 and A2. I can only assume too blind to see what was coming. Hapless at best. They should now be fighting for decent mitigation measures and funding beyond weak plans but given their record they’ll be a long second behind Newham for future measures.
Darn right we get a raw deal South of the river, thanks Greenwich council, for supporting it, backtracking on support and failing to obect and attempt to prevent. Another great success story.