A new bridge or tunnel is one of the country’s top 40 priority infrastructure projects and could be worth anywhere between £1.1bn and £4.4bn depending on the preferred options.
The existing river crossing capacity in the Lower Thames area – the Dartford-Thurrock crossing – is operating above the capacity.
The cheapest of the three options priced by consultant Aecom is a bridge next to the existing Dartford Crossing, which would cost £1.1bn.
Lower Thames crossing options
- Crossing at the site of the existing crossing on the A282 between Dartford and Thurrock.(£1.1bn-£1.5bn)
- Route to connect the A2 south of the river at the Swanscombe Peninsula with the A1089 north of the river(£1.6bn-£1.8bn)
- Connect the M2 in Kent with the A13 and the M25 between junctions 29 and 30 in Essex(£2.8-£2.9bn) –
- a variant for this last option would additionally widen the A229 between the M2 and M20 (£4.4m)
The Government has published details of the proposed crossing locations for consultation today.
There will be further consultations on the type of crossing – whether it will be a tunnel or a bridge.
There will also be more detailed assessments of the social, economic and environmental impacts of a new crossing.
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