Major tunnel used by 25,000 vehicles a day to close for 17 nights throughout June – just two months after grand opening

A MAJOR tunnel used by some 25,000 vehicles each day is closing for 17 nights throughout June – just months after opening.

Silvertown Tunnel, which links Silvertown in east London to the Greenwich Peninsula, opened on April 7 this year after taking just under 5 years to be completed.

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But now, some two months later, the tunnel has been scheduled to close for 17 overnight dates for general maintenance and “snagging works”, according to Transport for London.

Indeed, the overnight closures are in their early stages, with the southbound direction closed each day – from 10pm until the early morning – since Friday, May 30.

Since its grand opening, thousands of drivers have been forced to fork out up to £20 a day to use the tunnel – which applies for both the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels between 6am and 10pm.

Car drivers are charged up to £4 per journey with discounts for automatic payments and travelling at off-peak times.

Most drivers will pay a minimum of £1.50 to use each tunnel – although some may qualify for a discount or exemption,

The payment rises and falls depending on the weight of your vehicle, with motorbikes, for example, paying £2.50 at peak times, while HGVs are charged £10 at peak times.

Drivers pay up each time they use the tunnel, which means they could be charged several times a day.

The idea behind the Silvertown Tunnel is to cut journey times by up to 20 minutes at peak times, as well as boosting zero emission transport options.

TfL say that, on dates when the southbound section is closed, buses will be diverted via the Blackwall Tunnel, while at times when both directions are closed, buses will operate a split service that terminates at Canning Town and North Greenwich.

According to Highways Magazine, 25,000 vehicles are expected to be using the Silvertown Tunnel each day.

CHARGED UP

This comes as motorists who use the Dartford tunnel toll route could face triple the costs – if the upcoming Lower Thames Crossing mega project is built using private finance.

Transport analysts suggest that funding for the new crossing, a 14.3-mile route connecting Essex and Kent with an estimated price tag of £9.2 billion, could result in daily fees at the Dartford Crossing soaring to £8.10.

Currently, cars pay £2.50 to use the crossing, but the Transport Action Network (TAN) suggests fees could rise to £8.10 for cars and £14 for lorries to cover the Lower Thames Crossing’s construction and financing costs.

However, National Highways has dismissed these claims as speculative – claiming that tolls would remain in line with current rates but adjusted for inflation.

A National Highways spokesperson told Sun Motors: “These numbers are untrue.

“As the planning application for the project made clear, charges will be applied at the same rate as the Dartford Crossing.”

The Lower Thames Crossing project, approved in March, would massively ease congestion by providing an alternative route for vehicles between Essex and Kent.

Specifically, the huge, motorway-style tunnel would link the town of Tilbury in Essex to Medway in Kent, would also be connected to the A2 and M2 in Kent, as well as the A13 and M25 in Essex.

It would also provide transport links between London and crossings to Dover – which, of course, account for half of the goods traded between Britain and mainland Europe.

While business groups like the Road Haulage Association and Logistics UK welcome the infrastructure as critical for reducing congestion and improving freight reliability – they stress the importance of keeping tolls reasonable.