Supporters of a new Lower Thames Crossing have called on Government to accelerate its delivery plans to relieve congestion at Dartford and create improved strategic highway corridors.

Kent County Council leader Paul Carter told a House of Commons Transport Committee hearing on Monday: “If we don’t start building (a crossing) soon to get heavy goods vehicles from Dover Docks and London Gateway moving, this country will grind to a halt. If we don’t get the infrastructure we won’t get the investment and that would be a massive missed opportunity.”

Mr Carter told the hearing that he would prefer to see Option C (a new crossing further east of the M25 between Tilbury and Gravesend) built rather than adding an additional crossing near Dartford (Option A). “Air quality is appalling for residents of Dartford and building an additional crossing there would be absolutely disastrous,” he said. “Support of Option C should be a top priority for Government.”

Two possible locations for a Lower Thames Crossing crossing remain and the Government’s National Infrastructure Plan 2014 published in December says that work to develop the remaining two options continues to progress well. An Option B in between A and C was discounted by Government over a year ago.

Essex County Council cabinet member for highways and transportation Rodney Bass told the hearing: “Economic activity all the way along the Thames corridor is growing at such a rate that if strategic decisions are not taken quickly it will cause a slowdown in economic activity.”

Thurrock Council leader John Kent, another witnesses at the Transport Committee hearing, said that Government was too quick to ditch ‘Option D’ even further east towards Canvey Island as that would “open up lots of important corridors such as the M20, A13 and and the A127 in a way that Options A and C do not.”

Labour’s former Transport Secretary Lord Adonis told the hearing that slow progress on the Lower Thames Crossing “has been a failure on behalf of Government to take timely decisions”.

(Photo: Highways Agency)

To return to the newsletter, please close this window.