The Lower Thames Crossing is a proposed road crossing of the Thames estuary downstream of the Dartford Crossing that links the counties of Kent and Essex, and its proposed approaches. If built it would pass through the districts of Thurrock and Gravesham, supplementing the Dartford route. The approximately route will be assessed by the Planning Inspectorate.
First proposed in the late 2000s, the crossing is designed to relieve the pressure on the existing A282 Dartford Crossing. The proposed route would connect the M25 motorway and A13 north of the river to the M2 motorway south of the river. If built, the crossing would have the longest road tunnel in the UK at . The road number A122 has been identified for the proposed road.
The crossing is estimated to cost about £9 billion and would take about six years to build following the granting of planning permission. A planning application was submitted in 2020, and withdrawn. In summer 2022, there was a further local consultation with a new application expected before the end of the year.
Background
Described as "a crucial part of the country’s strategic road network", the Dartford Crossing is the only fixed road crossing of the River Thames east of Greater London. Although officially designated as the A282, the crossing is considered part of the M25 motorway orbital route around London. Last expanded in 1991 with the opening of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, the crossing is the busiest estuarial route in the United Kingdom, with an average daily use of around 160,000 vehicles. The crossing has high levels of congestion, especially at peak times - with high levels of air pollution impacting neighbouring Thurrock and Dartford. A variety of additional crossings downstream of the Dartford Crossing have been proposed.
Currently, there is a ferry service operating between Gravesend and Tilbury, which predominantly carries foot passengers and bicycles, Monday to Saturday.
History
An additional Thames crossing downstream from Dartford was first considered in the Roads for Prosperity white paper in 1989, noting that it would "[relieve the] east side of the M25 between Kent and Essex".
The Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) was recommended for further investigation in the 2002 ORBIT Multi-Model Study, which examined orbital transport problems around London.
In 2008, Metrotidal Ltd proposed the "Medway-Canvey Island crossing", a £2bn to £4bn combined road and rail tunnel between Medway and Canvey Island that would include a surge-tide barrier and a tidal power plant, which was supported by Kent County Council, Essex County Council, the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership and the Department for Transport.
Following delays in any proposal being put forward by central government, Essex and Kent County Councils intend to create a joint proposal for the construction of a crossing.
In January 2009, the Department for Transport published its own proposals.
In October 2010, a study commissioned by Kent County Council proposed that the northern end of the crossing should bypass the M25 and continue on to connect to the M11 (and Stansted Airport) directly. This would presumably be an adaptation of Option C.
In October 2012, plans were announced for the London Resort theme park near Swanscombe. Commenting on road and motorway access to the park, Kent County Council highways chief Councillor Brian Sweetland said that he was looking at a significant variation to Option B: "The possibility of a new Thames Crossing at the Swanscombe peninsula must now be taken very seriously".
In April 2017, the Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling confirmed Option C as the preferred route for the Lower Thames Crossing.
In November 2017, Highways England announced that its 'current thinking' for the design of the route encompassed a number of changes from that of the original public consultation: the route would now avoid a landfill site near Ockendon; the junction with the A13 would be redesigned and the junctions with the A128 and A226 would be removed. Furthermore, the A2 would be widened from its junction with the new crossing approach road to Junction 1 of the M2.
In March 2018, Tim Jones in his position as LTC Project Director confirmed that the proposed LTC would not resolve all the problems both north and south of the river.