The Blackwall Tunnel will be closed in one direction this weekend, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.
TfL said the southbound route will first close between 11pm Friday and 6am Saturday, to allow for work on a new road layout on the A102 ahead of a new river crossing opening.
It will again be be closed from 11pm on Saturday until 5am on Monday.
Works are part of the Silvertown Tunnel Project, which will see a new tunnel built beneath the Thames for 2025, linking Silvertown to the Greenwich Peninsula in east London.
The Silvertown Tunnel is due to open in spring 2025, after which drivers using both tunnels will pay up to £4 at peak times to cross the Thames.
The Blackwall Tunnel - which has already seen a series of weekend closures this year - will remain open northbound during the closure.
TfL said it “expects roads and alternative river crossings in east and central London to be extremely busy with long delays” to journeys.
It added there are likely to be queues along the A13 westbound between Canning Town and Whitechapel, and on the approaches to Rotherhithe Tunnel.
Drivers planning to travel through central London have been advised to use tube and rail services where possible and to check the Journey Planner and TfL Go app.
Meanwhile, people travelling by bus have been told the 108 bus route will operate a split service during the weekend closures between Lewisham and North Greenwich, and between Canning Town and Stratford.
Woolwich ferry services are to operate as normal amid weekend closures, despite long queues expected for those boarding the first ferry.
The Woolwich Ferry, Rotherhithe Tunnel and Tower Bridge are all expected to be busier.
Passengers who complete their journeys using the Jubilee line will automatically be refunded.
