Blackwall Tunnel closed for weekend roadworks

The southbound route will be closed from midnight on Friday

The Blackwall Tunnel in east London will be closed to southbound traffic for two weekends while roadworks take place.

Drivers will be unable to use the route from 00:01 BST on 20 July to 05:00 22 July, and again between 17 and 19 August.

Transport for London (TfL) said the closure was for work on a new road layout on the A102, as part of the Silvertown Tunnel Project.

The tunnel will remain open to northbound traffic, with occasional diversions.

'Long delays'

Maintenance closures of the Blackwall Tunnel will continue as normal between 23:59 BST on Saturdays and 07:00 on Sundays.

It warned drivers to expect roads and alternative river crossings in east and central London to be "extremely busy" with "long delays".

Queues along the A13 westbound between Canning Town and Whitechapel and on the approaches to Rotherhithe Tunnel throughout the weekend are expected, TfL said.

The 108 bus route, the only one that operates through the Blackwall Tunnel, will be split in two, running between Lewisham and North Greenwich, and between Canning Town and Stratford.

TfL urged people to use Tube and train services for central London journeys where possible, and check its journey planner.