Work could begin on a new £9bn road tunnel under the Thames between Kent and Essex as early as this year after Rachel Reeves gave her backing to the scheme in a bid to fire growth in the economy.
The Chancellor highlighted the 14.3-mile Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) as an “important project”, adding that the Treasury was “exploring options” for it to be privately financed.
The route would aim to cut severe congestion on and around the M25 Dartford Crossing, with a motorway-style road travelling below the river.
National Highways says the plan will almost double road capacity across the Thames east of London, describing it as “our most ambitious scheme in 35 years”.
The i Paper understands that talks are at an advanced stage between the Treasury and large private investment funds, with the money spent on developing the scheme being recouped via tolls.
It is hoped preparatory work could restart by autumn, with full construction work starting in 2026 and a potential completion date within a decade, with the road opening in 2032.
Reeves’s signal that the Government will back the LTC will bring to an end a 15-year saga that has cost the taxpayer £300m in planning costs.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to make a final decision on whether to approve National Highways’ application for a development consent order to build the scheme by May 23.
In a speech on growth in Oxfordshire, Reeves said: “We will work with the private sector to deliver the infrastructure that our country desperately needs.
“This includes the Lower Thames Crossing, which will improve connectivity at Dover, Felixstowe and Harwich, alleviating severe congestion, as goods destined to export come from the North and the Midlands and across the country to markets overseas.
“To drive growth and deliver value for money for taxpayers, we are exploring options to privately finance this important project.”
The LTC would connect the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex through a 2.6-mile tunnel under the Thames. It would be the UK’s longest road tunnel.
Jim Dickinson, Labour MP for Dartford, told The i Paper: “I am delighted and my constituents in Dartford will be absolutely delighted to hear the Chancellor has given her support. It will unlock growth across the region as well as providing an end in sight to the misery of residents affected by the congestion in our area.”
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Any regular user of the Dartford tunnels and bridge knows just how badly the Lower Thames Crossing is needed.
“Given there was always an expectation of the new crossing being tolled, the search for a private financier to help meet the construction costs is not surprising.”
Road Haulage Association managing director Richard Smith said it was “a major victory for our sector” and claimed the “nationally significant scheme has the potential to turbocharge the economy”.
Thurrock Council in Essex has consistently opposed the project, citing negative economic, social and environmental impacts, but the leader of Kent’s Dartford Borough Council is in favour.
Friends of the Earth has described the scheme as “damaging”.
Responding to Reeves’s comments, campaign group Transport Action Network said: “Exploring options for privately financing the LTC does nothing to address its fundamental flaws: generating ever more traffic and harmful emissions, devastating the market for international rail freight, and damaging the competitiveness of our seaports north of the Thames.
“With tolls at Dartford and the LTC set to be equalised, they will inevitably rise even higher to pay back investors.”
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