Close Menu
WTX News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Record-breaking day for India and Mandhana
    • Arsenal now possess the depth to win the Champions League
    • Air traffic control warns flight to turn away from Air Force One as it brings Trumps to London
    • Strictly Come Dancing legend makes surprise return for 2025 BBC series
    • Lamine Yamal out for UCL opener
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    WTX News
    • Live News
      • US News
      • EU News
      • UK News
      • Politics
      • COVID-19
      • Business
      • Tech zone
    • World news
      • Middle East News
        • UAE News
        • Palestine News
      • Europe
        • Italian News
        • Spanish News
      • Africa news
      • South America
      • North America
      • Asia
    • News Briefings
      • UK News Briefing
      • World News Briefing
      • Live Business News
    • Sports
      • Football News
      • Tennis
      • Women’s Football
    • MY World
      • Climate Change
      • In Review
      • Expose
      • Special Reports
        • Conscience Convoy
        • Rohingya Report
    • Entertainment
      • Insta Talk
      • Royal Family
      • Gaming News
      • TV Shows
      • Streaming
    • Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • Fashion
      • Cooking recipes
      • Luxury
      • Money Saving Expert
    • Travel
      • Culture
      • Holidays
    • Sign Up
      • Log In
    WTX News
    • Live News
    • World news
    • News Briefings
    • Sports
    • MY World
    • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Sign Up
    Home - UK News - Lower Thames Crossing plan for Kent and Essex approved 16 years after work on road scheme started

    Lower Thames Crossing plan for Kent and Essex approved 16 years after work on road scheme started

    Lower Thames Crossing plan for Kent and Essex approved 16 years after work on road scheme started

    Lower Thames Crossing plan for Kent and Essex approved 16 years after work on road scheme started

    • WTX News Editor
    • March 25, 2025
    • 4:03 pm
    • No Comments

    Cliff Notes

    • The £9bn Lower Thames Crossing project, spanning 14.5 miles and featuring a 2.6-mile tunnel, has been approved after 16 years of planning and £1.2bn in costs.
    • The crossing aims to alleviate congestion on the Dartford Crossing, nearly doubling road capacity east of London, with construction anticipated to begin as early as next year.
    • Local opposition remains, with concerns about economic, social, and environmental impacts, as well as potential disruptions for surrounding communities during the eight-year construction period.

    Lower Thames Crossing plan for Kent and Essex approved – 16 years after work on road scheme started | Politics News

    Britain’s biggest road scheme has been given the green light by the government – 16 years after work on the £9bn crossing began.

    The Planning Inspectorate said the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) – a 14.5-mile project stretching from Kent to Essex – was approved by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on Tuesday.

    It would connect the A2 and M2 near Strood to the A13 and M25 near Upminster via a 2.6-mile tunnel under the River Thames.

    Aimed at reducing congestion on the Dartford Crossing, the LTC would be the UK’s longest road tunnel and would nearly double road capacity east of London.

    National Highways said after its development consent order was approved that it was “currently exploring private finance options for the project”.

    Construction could start as early as next year, with the new road expected to open early next decade.

    Work on the road scheme has been ongoing since 2009. Despite no construction being carried out in that time, £1.2bn has been spent, with the planning document running to 359,070 pages.

    Sir Keir Starmer said on X after the announcement: “When I said I would back the builders, not the blockers, I meant it.”

    Jim Dickson, Labour MP for Dartford, also said that his constituency has had “endless gridlock” because previous governments “dodged” approving the project.

    He added: “This decision will unlock economic growth across the country and finally deliver a solution to the traffic chaos faced by my constituents on a daily basis.”

    Thurrock Council in Essex has consistently opposed the project over economic, social and environmental concerns, and local campaigners Thames Crossing Action Group claimed construction would cause “eight years of disruption and gridlock on local roads”.

    Director of the group, Chris Todd, said: “This is absolute madness. It’s a desperate decision to distract from the likely bad news in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement tomorrow.”

    The prime minister’s spokesperson also said that the government will “be looking at all funding options including private fiance and any final decisions on that will be taken in due course”.

    National Highways revealed in a Freedom of Information request last year that £295m had been spent on the application process for the LTC.

    Pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade noted that the cost of the planning fee alone is more than twice the amount it took Norway to build the longest road tunnel in the world.

    Sam Dumitriu, the thinktank’s head of policy, said the Laerdal tunnel connecting Oslo and Bergen only cost £140m, adjusted for inflation.

    The £9bn Lower Thames Crossing project, spanning 14.5 miles and featuring a 2.6-mile tunnel, has been approved after 16 years of planning and £1.2bn in costs.
    Advertisment
    News Headlines
    Air traffic control warns flight to turn away from Air Force One as it brings Trumps to London

    Air traffic control warns flight to turn away from Air Force One as it brings Trumps to London

    MSPs vote to abolish Scottish legal system’s controversial not proven verdict

    MSPs vote to abolish Scottish legal system’s controversial not proven verdict

    Save 70% on VIP subscription
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    Advert by Sponsors
    More from WTX News
    The latest gaming news - with game reviews and tips and tricks. updated 24 hours a day.
    The latest gaming news
    Hot off the press!
    • Record-breaking day for India and Mandhana September 17, 2025
    • Arsenal now possess the depth to win the Champions League September 17, 2025
    • Air traffic control warns flight to turn away from Air Force One as it brings Trumps to London September 17, 2025
    • Strictly Come Dancing legend makes surprise return for 2025 BBC series September 17, 2025
    • Lamine Yamal out for UCL opener September 17, 2025
    WTX News latest breaking news sports and travel
    Latest News and analysis - Deciphering through the BS with exclusive News Briefings
    Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok Instagram

    News

    • World News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • EU News
    • Business
    • Opinions
    • News Briefing
    • Live News

    Company

    • About WTX News
    • Register
    • Advertising
    • Work with us
    • Contact
    • Community
    • GDPR Policy
    • Privacy

    Services

    • Fitness for free
    • Insta Talk
    • How to guides
    • Climate Change
    • In Review
    • Expose
    • NEWS SUMMARY
    • Money Saving Expert

    News delivered to your inbox

    Copyright WTX News 2025

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.