The \u00a39bn Lower Thames Crossing road project has been greenlit after two and a half years in limbo.<\/p>\n
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander today (25 March) granted development consent to the UK\u2019s largest ever road tunnel, which will connect Kent and Essex. The decision was originally due last June but had been pushed back twice.<\/p>\n
The Secretary of State has concluded that proposed mitigations for construction disruption during the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) are adequate, despite objections from local authorities and interest groups.<\/p>\n
Lower Thames Crossing executive director Matt Palmer welcomed the decision, saying: \u201cWe are shovel ready and have our delivery partners on board, and today\u2019s decision allows us to work with government on funding and start the detailed planning that will let us start construction as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the planning process, Thurrock Council flagged 39 locations where congestion could increase due to construction operations, while the Port of Tilbury warned that road delays could affect operations.<\/p>\n
Kent County Council and the London Borough of Havering also raised concerns about the impact on bus services.<\/p>\n
Although the Planning Inspectorate\u2019s Examining Authority (ExA) acknowledged the disruption, it supported the applicant\u2019s approach to mitigation via control documents, which the Secretary of State has now endorsed.<\/p>\n
The development consent application, first submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in October 2022, became the largest application ever received, costing \u00a3800m.<\/p>\n
Three major construction contracts have already been awarded on the job.<\/p>\n
A joint venture between Bouygues<\/a> Travaux Publics and Murphy landed the \u00a31.34bn tunnelling contract, Balfour Beatty<\/a> won the \u00a31.2bn northern roads job and Skanska<\/a> the \u00a3450m southern roads job.<\/p>\n Responding to today’s development consent announcement, Skanska UK executive vice president Andrew English said: \u201cThe urgent need for the Lower Thames Crossing is clear, to relieve mounting congestion in the area that will open up huge new economic opportunities for the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cWe now have the opportunity to lead the way in new low carbon construction techniques and materials, while also investing in local jobs and skills.\u201d<\/p>\n Phil Clifton, divisional CEO of Balfour Beatty\u2019s Major Projects, Highways and Ground Engineering businesses, said: “<\/span>This decision clearly demonstrates [the government’s] willingness to harness infrastructure to transform regional economies and provide certainty for many businesses across the UK.”<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n However, the government has yet to make a decision on how the multibillion-pound scheme will be funded, although it is exploring private finance options.<\/p>\n Marie-Claude Hemming, director of operations for the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, said: \u201cNow that the scheme has planning approval we call on the UK government to swiftly make a decision as to how it will be funded \u2013 whether through the use of private finance or otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n The 23km road tunnel under the Thames was first proposed in 2009, to ease traffic on the Dartford Crossing. The Planning Inspectorate received plans in October 2022.<\/p>\n The most recent cost estimate is \u00a39bn, although the client, National Highways, is considering a semi-private option that would bring the project total to \u00a310.2bn.<\/p>\n MP for Dartford Jim Dickson said: \u201cFor far too long governments have dodged making a decision on the Lower Thames Crossing leaving Dartford residents to endure endless gridlock.<\/p>\n \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Sir John Armitt, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said: \u201cGiven the scale of investment needed in the country\u2019s strategic infrastructure over coming decades, I hope this is the first of many future strategic planning decisions which are crucial to transform the transport, energy and water networks on which the country relies.\u201d<\/p>\n The government is due to publish a 10-year infrastructure strategy and pipeline this summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The \u00a39bn Lower Thames Crossing road project has been greenlit after two and a half years in limbo. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander today (25 March) granted development consent to the UK\u2019s largest ever road tunnel, which will connect Kent and Essex. The decision was originally due last June but had been pushed back twice. The …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":141524,"featured_media":351226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[549],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n