Lower Thames Crossing gets extra £891m in Budget

A CGI image of the northern entrance to the crossing

The £9bn Lower Thames Crossing project is to get an extra £891m in funding.

The crossing, which will be the largest road tunnel in the UK, was approved by the government in March this year.

It will feature two tunnels and connect Tilbury in Essex to Gravesend in Kent, with work expected to begin next year and be complete in the 2030s.

In her Budget announcement today, Chancellor Rachel Reeves committed to the final part of public funding for the project, giving the "green light" for work to begin in 2026.

She said the Lower Thames Crossing would be the largest road building project for a generation, and a "key driver of growth".

The route that the Lower Thames Crossing will take from Thurrock, Essex to Kent

The crossing would improve road links between the Midlands and the North, along with ports in the South East, as well as enhance "the resilience of the overall road network".

In the House of Commons today, the chancellor added: "As we allocate investment for the infrastructure that is the backbone of economic growth across our country, today I will commit investment for the Lower Thames Crossing."

'Legacy of jobs and skills'

Matt Palmer, executive director for the Lower Thames Crossing, said the additional £891m of public funds would keep the project on track to open "in the early 2030s".

"The project will be built by local people and businesses, and leave a legacy of jobs and skills across the region," he said.

"It's the first of a new generation of projects that will tackle congestion and drive economic growth, whilst redrawing the blueprint for low-carbon construction."

The plans for a second crossing between Essex and Kent over the River Thames was first mooted 16 years ago back in 2009, with £1.2bn of taxpayer's money being spent on planning since.

The 14.5-mile (23km) road would link the A2 and M2 in Kent with the A13 and M25 in Thurrock.

About 2.6 miles (4.2km) of the route would be underground, with a northbound and a southbound tunnel running next to each other beneath the Thames.

The plans have faced opposition ever since they were announced, with concerns over potential impacts on the environment and ancient woodlands in the area.