Charging motorists to drive through the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels in east London may have a “detrimental” impact on Tower Bridge, its custodians have warned.
Transport for London will open the Silvertown tunnel, linking the Greenwich Peninsula and Royal Docks, next week— the first new Thames road crossing in half a century.
Drivers will have to pay a toll to use the new twin-bore tunnel during peak hours — as well as the adjacent Blackwall tunnel connecting Tower Hamlets and Greenwich — from Monday.
Drivers will pay a peak rate of £4 per crossing and £1.50 off-peak, with no charge between 10pm and 6am.
Transport officials believe that the tolls are necessary to avoid congestion caused by drivers opting for the free road crossing over and above the paid tunnel, negating the benefits of the Silvertown project.
TfL are also adamant that motorists paying to drive through the £2.2 billion Silvertown tunnel, which had originally planned to open in 2023 but was beset by delays due to rising costs and a fire involving a faulty conveyor belt, will help to fund improvements in public transport elsewhere in the capital.
But the City Bridge Foundation, which looks after five Thames bridges in central London at no cost to the taxpayer, is worried that motorists will divert to the closest practical free river crossing, which is likely to be Tower Bridge.
Simon Latham, the charity’s Chief Operating Officer, said increased traffic will have a "detrimental impact" on the Grade 1-listed landmark, famous for its Gothic towers and raising bascules allowing ships to pass beneath.
Mr Latham told The Times: "It's vital we do everything we can to protect the 130-year-old structure... We would urge TfL to closely monitor any impact on traffic flow."
Southwark Council also fears a knock-on impact on the Rotherhithe tunnel, connecting Rotherhithe and Limehouse, which could be used by drivers looking to avoid the new charge at the 128-year-old Blackwall tunnel.
Meanwhile, National Highways is concerned that more traffic may use the Dartford Crossings on the M25, which at £2.50 per crossing is significantly cheaper than both the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels.
However, TfL claims its modelling suggested there would be no significant increase in traffic on Tower Bridge.
The Blackwall tunnel is used by around 100,000 vehicles a day and it is expected that around 25,000 people will use the Silvertown tunnel.
London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan inherited the Silvertown proposals from his predecessor Boris Johnson, but pressed ahead with a modified scheme, in the face of objections from environmental campaigners and some Labour councils.
David Rowe, TfL’s director of investment planning, told The Standard: "For many decades, east London has been plagued by the Blackwall (tunnel) being unreliable.
“The Silvertown resolves those issues. It provides an alternative to Blackwall, to take away the queuing, and the environmental and economic impacts that queuing has, and provides a reliable alternative when we do need to close Blackwall.”
Asked if TfL was proud of the scheme, Mr Rowe said: “We are absolutely proud of this scheme. It offers many, many benefits to this part of London in terms of improving the environment, resolving the issues of constant queuing at Blackwall and providing that reliable means of being able to cross the river.”
A TfL spokesperson added: “We have undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the scheme impacts, including on traffic at adjacent crossings, and have used this updated work to inform decisions on the user charge levels and discounts. We do not anticipate significant impacts at Tower Bridge, but we have made legally binding commitments to closely monitor this before and after the tunnel opens, and act if impacts are notably different to those predicted.”
