Delay for £10 billion Lower Thames Crossing project

The UK Government has now confirmed that the massive Lower Thames Crossing project will feature funding from private sources. However, completion of the project is now being delayed until 2034, marking a major delay to the road tunnel connecting Kent and Essex.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has appointed a senior civil servant as the official accountable for the project, shifting responsibility from National Highways.

Completion of the tunnel was expected in early in the 2030s. But a long series of delays mean that it will now be completed in 2034. Plans for the project date back to the 1990s, with a bridge initially having been envisaged.

The cost of the tunnel and its connecting roads has increased over time. While the total cost of the project is now estimated at around £10 billion, the final funding structure has yet to be confirmed. The crossing will be tolled, which will pay back its construction costs over time.

Major construction contracts have already been awarded. A joint venture comprising Bouygues Travaux Publics and Murphy was awarded the £1.34 billion tunnelling package in late 2023. Balfour Beatty won the £1.2 billion contract for roadworks north of the Thames in early 2023.

The project is needed as the existing Dartford Crossing, with its twin tunnels and bridge suffers heavy congestion, and delays are very frequent. Minor crashes or the need to use the larger diameter tunnel for large loads can result in long tailbacks. The route is a key transport artery for goods being transported to and from the UK and is of prime economic importance to the UK as a whole. Reducing congestion will deliver major economic gains, far outstripping the cost of construction.

Of note is that the project will set a precedent, with no diesel machines being allowed onsite. Only electric or hydrogen-fuelled construction machines and vehicles will be allowed for the project.