Britain’s largest street scheme has been given the inexperienced gentle by the federal government – 16 years after work on the £9bn crossing started.
The Planning Inspectorate mentioned the Decrease Thames Crossing (LTC) – a 14.5-mile undertaking stretching from Kent to Essex – was permitted by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on Tuesday.
It might join the A2 and M2 close to Strood to the A13 and M25 close to Upminster by way of a 2.6-mile tunnel below the River Thames.
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Geared toward decreasing congestion on the Dartford Crossing, the LTC can be the UK’s longest street tunnel and would almost double street capability east of London.
Nationwide Highways mentioned after its growth consent order was permitted that it was “currently exploring private finance options for the project”.
Picture:
Pic: Nationwide Highways
Development might begin as early as subsequent 12 months, with the brand new street anticipated to open early subsequent decade.
Work on the street scheme has been ongoing since 2009. Regardless of no building being carried out in that point, £1.2bn has been spent, with the planning doc operating to 359,070 pages.
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The 14.5-mile-long street would join Kent and Essex, and work on it first began in 2009. File pic: PA
Sir Keir Starmer mentioned 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, additionally mentioned that his constituency has had “endless gridlock” as a result of earlier governments “dodged” approving the undertaking.
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 constantly opposed the undertaking over financial, social and environmental considerations, and native campaigners Thames Crossing Motion Group claimed building would trigger “eight years of disruption and gridlock on local roads”.
The prime minister’s spokesperson additionally mentioned that the federal government will “be looking at all funding options including private fiance and any final decisions on that will be taken in due course”.
Nationwide Highways revealed in a Freedom of Data request final 12 months that £295m had been spent on the appliance 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 the planet.
Sam Dumitriu, the thinktank’s head of coverage, mentioned the Laerdal tunnel connecting Oslo and Bergen solely price £140m, adjusted for inflation.
