A new river crossing for East London is one step closer today, with the launch of Transport for London’s River Crossings report. Respondents expressed a high level of support for a new road tunnel between Silvertown and the Greenwich Peninsula.
The proposed tunnel at Silvertown would run underneath the River Thames to alleviate pressure on the Blackwall Tunnel. The tunnel would be accessible to all sizes of vehicles.
Local Labour London Assembly Member John Biggs said:
“I welcome this report which shows that residents share my views and are still very much in favour of these river crossings. East London has seen massive development and the current lack of river crossings does not cope with demand and denies local people the accessibility other Londoners take for granted. And it also holds back the investment and jobs that the area still needs.
“A new tunnel under the river from Silvertown to Greenwich would help to support these needs. It would also take a lot of the pressure off the Blackwall Tunnel. There are very real concerns about a tunnel simply generating more traffic and congestion and as part of the proposals I want to see concrete plans for how we will manage the traffic and use the new crossings to improve the quality of life for local people in Poplar, and to avoid rat-running and congestion in the wider area.
“Finally, what is really also needed is a bridge further down the river at Gallions Reach – a ferry is just a stopgap and the campaign must continue until one is built.”
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