Development of the Lower Thames Crossing provides “a fantastic opportunity” to showcase technical innovation and create new apprenticeships for young people, the scheme’s project manager has told TP Weekly News.

 

Robert Audsley urged consultants and contractors to come forward with ideas now that could help drive engineering excellence on the new crossing. He added that the project will generate very many roles for construction apprentices and help to create long term job opportunities locally.

 

He was speaking at a public consultation in Gravesend on Thursday where local people were asked to comment on three route options for approach roads north of the river and two to the south, either side of a bored tunnel planned between East Tilbury in Essex and the village of Chalk in Kent.

 

“This is a landmark project and is likely to be one of the biggest schemes in Highways England’s Road Investment Strategy 2,” Mr Audsley said. “It is most likely that we will look at innovative ways in which roads can interact with vehicles and in how we can get information to people and improve the driver experience. But it is too early to be specific.

 

“This project will help Highways England to relieve one of the major bottlenecks and least reliable parts on the network,” he continued, adding that 2016 is an “absolutely crucial year” for the scheme as it is when the crossing is likely to get the go ahead from Government.

 

Relieving congestion at the existing Dartford Crossing is a clear aim of the new scheme, but that is not the only objective Mr Audsley said. “Government wants to invest in things which will bring economic security to the country, unlock growth and offer value for money. This crossing will provide that.”

 

Two weeks ago Highways England confirmed that it will take forward so called ‘Option C’ as the site for the new Lower Thames Crossing rather than develop ‘Option A’ beside the existing Dartford Crossing.

 

One of the reasons for taking forward Option C is to provide better access for cross Channel traffic to reach the heartlands of England, Mr Audsley added.

 

He said that developing Option A would have brought some local benefit, but there were “lots of constraints and limitations as to how we could develop infrastructure in that area”. He added that putting in new lanes near Dartford would not have addressed a wider need to improve vehicle flows either side of the Thames.

 

Option C will connect junction 29 of the M25 in Essex with junction one of the M2 in Kent. A bored tunnel has been identified as the preferred means of carrying traffic beneath the river and the public is being asked to consider three different approach routes to the tunnel in Essex and two in Kent. Highways England has set out its preference in each case, but insists that nothing has been decided at this stage.

 

A further public consultation takes place tomorrow in Thurrock and six more will follow at different locations over the next four weeks. Responses to the public consultation must be submitted by 24 March.

 

Highways England says that the Lower Thames Crossing could add £7Bn to the national economy by stimulating investment. The crossing will cost between £4.3Bn and £5.9Bn and the roads operator expects the scheme to open in 2025 if funded from the public purse. Private funding is being explored to meet the costs of the project, but it is thought that would put the opening back by two years.