The story so far
Overview
- Section 1: Foreword
- Section 2: What is the Lower Thames Crossing?
- Section 3: The story so far
- Section 4: Why the Lower Thames Crossing is so important
- Section 5: The route - Design changes
- Section 5: The route - South of the river in Kent
- Section 5: The route - The crossing
- Section 5: The route - North of the river in Thurrock and Essex
- Section 6: Local communities, landscapes and the environment
- Section 7: Building the crossing
- Section 8: Using the Lower Thames Crossing
- Section 9: Consultation and development consent
- Section 10: How to have your say
- Section 11: Events and further information
We have explored many options before reaching our current proposal for the Lower Thames Crossing. We found that the current proposal was the best option, offering the right balance between providing value for money, moving traffic effectively, and reducing the impact on local communities and the environment.
One of the main ways we are reducing the environmental and community impact is by building a tunnel, as it has far fewer visual and noise impacts. It also avoids sensitive and valuable habitats such as the Thames Estuary and Marshes Special Protection Area and Ramsar sites (a wetland of international importance).
We will make sure local road users still have good connections to the nearby roads, and that the design will discourage ‘rat running’.
We are complying with all relevant design and technical standards, and are getting our plans reviewed by external agencies that are experts in this field, including the Design Council.
When we submit our Development Consent Order application we will put together an Environmental Statement that will outline how we propose to minimise the impacts of the project.
Find out more
To find out more about the options we have considered, see Approach to Design, Construction and Operation.
Building a tunnel rather than a bridge has far fewer visual and noise impacts
Our aims
We have worked with the Department for Transport (DfT) to agree the following objectives that we want the Lower Thames Crossing to achieve.
More Information
- To support sustainable local development and regional economic growth in the medium to long term
- To be affordable to government and users
- To achieve value for money
- To minimise adverse impacts on health and the environment
- To relieve the congested Dartford Crossing and approach roads, and improve their performance by providing freeflowing, north-south capacity
- To improve resilience of the Thames crossings and the major road network
- To improve safety
Did you know? Special Protection Areas are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with the European Commission Birds Directive to protect rare and vulnerable birds.
Find out more
To find out more about how we will meet our aims, see Case for the Project.
Find out more
To find out more about our earlier consultation, see our Response to Consultation (produced in 2017)
Continue to the next section: Section 4: Why the Lower Thames Crossing is so important
Read more
- Section 1: Foreword
- Section 2: What is the Lower Thames Crossing?
- Section 3: The story so far
- Section 4: Why the Lower Thames Crossing is so important
- Section 5: The route - Design changes
- Section 5: The route - South of the river in Kent
- Section 5: The route - The crossing
- Section 5: The route - North of the river in Thurrock and Essex
- Section 6: Local communities, landscapes and the environment
- Section 7: Building the crossing
- Section 8: Using the Lower Thames Crossing
- Section 9: Consultation and development consent
- Section 10: How to have your say
- Section 11: Events and further information
Audiences
- Anyone from any background
Interests
- Roads