Decrease Thames Crossing plan for Kent and Essex authorized – 16 years after work on street scheme began

Britain’s greatest street scheme has been given the inexperienced gentle by the federal government – 16 years after work on the £9bn crossing started.

The Planning Inspectorate stated the Decrease Thames Crossing (LTC) – a 14.5-mile mission stretching from Kent to Essex – was authorized by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on Tuesday.

It could join the A2 and M2 close to Strood to the A13 and M25 close to Upminster through a 2.6-mile tunnel underneath the River Thames.

Politics newest: Chancellor despatched clear message in new ballot

Nationwide Highways stated after its growth consent order was authorized that it was “at present exploring non-public finance choices for the mission”.

Building might begin as early as subsequent yr, with the brand new street anticipated to open early subsequent decade.

Work on the street scheme has been ongoing since 2009. Regardless of no development being carried out in that point, £1.2bn has been spent, with the planning doc operating to 359,070 pages.

Sir Keir Starmer stated on X after the announcement: “Once I stated I might again the builders, not the blockers, I meant it.”

Jim Dickson, Labour MP for Dartford, additionally stated that his constituency has had “infinite gridlock” as a result of earlier governments “dodged” approving the mission.

He added: “This choice will unlock financial development throughout the nation and eventually ship an answer to the visitors chaos confronted by my constituents each day.”

Thurrock Council in Essex has persistently opposed the mission over financial, social and environmental issues, and native campaigners Thames Crossing Motion Group claimed development would trigger “eight years of disruption and gridlock on native roads”.

Director of the group, Chris Todd, stated: “That is absolute insanity. It is a determined choice to distract from the seemingly unhealthy information within the Chancellor’s Spring Assertion tomorrow.”

Learn extra:
What it’s good to know concerning the spring assertion
Hundreds of latest houses to be constructed throughout England

The prime minister’s spokesperson additionally stated that the federal government will “be taking a look at all funding choices together with non-public fiance and any remaining choices on that will probably be taken in the end”.

Nationwide Highways revealed in a Freedom of Info request final yr that £295m had been spent on the applying course of for the LTC.

Professional-growth marketing campaign group Britain Remade famous that the price of the planning price alone is greater than twice the quantity it took Norway to construct the longest street tunnel on this planet.

Sam Dumitriu, the thinktank’s head of coverage, stated the Laerdal tunnel connecting Oslo and Bergen solely price £140m, adjusted for inflation.