Green light for three East London river crossings

Aaron Morby 9 years ago
Share

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has given the go-ahead to three new Thames river crossings in East London and started consultations on two other projects.

river_crossings_map

The crossings, which will be completed within the next five to 10 years, include a new road tunnel at Silvertown, a Docklands Light Railway crossing at Gallions Reach and a tilting pedestrian and cycle bridge linking Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf.

Khan is also considering two more crossings, one for London Overground running from Barking Riverside to Abbey Wood, and a new ferry between North Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs.

TfL will look to source the majority of funding for the trio of crossings through third-party developer contributions and Community Infrastructure Levies.

The most controversial plan for a £1bn Silvertown Tunnel has been ‘greened’ with pledges to design it for buses able to carry bicycles and strict environmental curbs on construction.

Silvertown Tunnel portal

These will include transporting 55% of construction material by river.  All trucks on the project will be Euro 6 standard and comply with the Mayor’s new Direct Vision Standard.

A planned £100m pedestrian and cycle bridge linking Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf will be the world’s largest span for an opening bascule bridge.

Proposals have been developed with Elliott Wood engineers and cost management advice from Arup.

reForm-Architects-Rotherhithe-Bridge-Transport-Visual-Half-Open-Bridge-2000x0-c-default

The 185m central span is supported by cables from angled masts at each side. These wishbone-like structures pivot to enable the bridge to lift at its centre to allow tall and large ships to pass.

The masts also act as counterbalance weights, so that the bridge can open very efficiently requiring just £10 of electricity to open.

A competitive procurement process will be held next year and subject to funding, availability of land and relevant approvals, the new bridge could be open by as soon as 2020.

The Mayor has instructed TfL to take forward a new extension of the Docklands Light Railway from Gallions Reach towards Thamesmead. This will help to support the development of around 17,000 new homes across Newham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

 

Gallions Reach Beckton

Khan, said: “With new homes and economic growth across East London, it becomes even more important that we deliver new greener transport links that allow Londoners to cross the river quickly and more easily.

“But we don’t want these to have a damaging impact on our environment, and that’s why I’ve reviewed and improved plans for Silvertown Tunnel and why I’m pushing forward with crossings that encourage public transport, walking and cycling.

“As we continue to unlock the massive economic potential of East London, we must secure the very best transport infrastructure that improves the quality of life for everyone living and working in the area.”

Alex Williams, Acting Managing Director of Planning at TfL, said: “The Mayor’s new vision for river crossings in East London is firmly rooted in supporting growth and providing better public transport links for all. We will now work hard to develop the designs for these new crossings, as well as identify potential funding opportunities, to allow them to be constructed more quickly.”

Latest news

Breakthrough for HS2 as first Birmingham tunnel section dug

Balfour Beatty VINCI completes 3.5km TBM drive in 652 days drive
3 hours ago

HS2 Curzon Street station redesign approved as timber roof axed

Change to meet stricter fire safety rules and cut maintenance costs
7 hours ago

Care home fire trial collapses

Prosecution withdrawn against four firms including Morgan Sindall Property Services
1 day ago

Leicester rebids £22m station revamp after failed tender race

Council opts for ECI route after receiving one bid for project
7 hours ago

Kier wins East Coast College rebuild job in Great Yarmouth

Work to start this summer for 1,300-student college
8 hours ago

R G Carter wins £28m hospital car park job in King’s Lynn

MSCP paves way for £1.5bn Queen Elizabeth Hospital rebuild in 2027
8 hours ago

London to relax green belt building rules

Sadiq Khan shifts position on planning
8 hours ago

Willmott Dixon wins Great Yarmouth waterfront deal

North Quay 10.5 acres mixed-use scheme to advance
1 day ago

SIG chief quits to join Travis Perkins

Gavin Slark to leave by the end of this year
8 hours ago

Eight take key spots on £250m Prosper framework

Housing and public building upkeep deal for North East awarded
1 day ago

Early call-out for £150m Ebbsfleet Garden City infrastructure

Bidders day to set out plan for Ebbsfleet Central commercial scheme
2 days ago

McLaren storms April contracts league with flurry of wins

Cardiff Bay Arena job headlines a series of big contract wins
1 day ago

Balfour Beatty lifts cash forecast after strong first quarter

Contractor set to hit £1bn average monthly net cash in 2025
1 day ago

Goldman Sachs-owned Adler & Allan buys 180-strong civils outfit

West Country's Glanville Environmental gets new owner
1 day ago

Caddick lands first contract for £200m Skelmersdale revamp

Developer gets green light for masterplan
1 day ago

Van Elle sells HGV fleet to haulage firm

WS Specialist Logistics pays £2.9m to take on fleet and drivers
1 day ago

Buyers more bullish about prospects for year ahead

Residential "resilient" but commercial work a weak spot
2 days ago

Council backs first Brutalist car park-to-flats scheme

Newcastle-under-Lyme multi-storey car park to be reborn as pioneering homes scheme
2 days ago

Hinkley Point C hits peak build with 26,000 jobs

3,000 more workers to join as fit-out work ramps up
2 days ago

Over 40 firms win Wessex Water M&E minor works deal

Broad sweep of specialists picked for AMP8 programme
2 days ago

Spencer lands Scottish bridge hat-trick

Steelwork, gantries and bearing upgrades on Kessock, Forth and Tay crossings
3 days ago

Winners revealed for £1.5bn decarbonisation deal

Fusion21 confirms places for 40 firms: Full list
2 days ago

Cladding firm fined £225,000 after fatal fall

Court hears how cherry picker didn't reach all parts of repair job
2 days ago

Completed buildings caught-up in Gateway 2 chaos

Developer distraught after dealing with Building Safety Regulator
3 days ago

Aviva submits plans for 34-storey City office tower

Subject to planning work to start in autumn 2027
3 days ago

Murphy takes 40% stake in Aussie civils contractor

Firm enters Australasian market with stake in Sydney-based contractor Abergeldie
4 days ago

Moat seeks firm for £420m repairs and maintenance deal

15-year deal to upkeep 20,000 south east homes
3 days ago

Lynch takes over hotel for Sizewell plant operators

Hire giant now in the hotel business to guarantee accommodation for workers
3 days ago

Subcontractors wanted across Scotland

Latest Constructionline event in Glasgow: Register now
3 days ago

Six guilty of £2m bribery over Devon housing site deals

Corrupt building bosses and E.ON project chief and QS sentenced
1 week ago

Contractor services