Lyn Brown, who represents West Ham and Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich & Woolwich) oppose the £1Bn scheme – which aims to ease pressure and congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel – on environmental grounds.

“Green transport must be the future for our city,” they emphasised in a joint letter to London’s Mayor. “That means a focus not on road building but on large scale investment in adapted public transport; ensuring more frequent and more reliable bus and rail services; and measures to significantly boost walking and cycling.”

They also stated that recent developments in respect of TfL’s financial position provide “strong grounds” for reviewing the overall economic case for the Silvertown Tunnel project.

This comes after a support package was agreed with the Government in May which saw TfL bailed out to the tune of £1.6Bn, while agreeing to increase fares and to a Government led review of the authority’s future financial position and structure.

“Given the significant construction and maintenance costs involved in the Silvertown Tunnel project and the fact that even the most well conceived major infrastructure projects have a tendency to overrun,” the letter continued, “we are concerned that the financial risks of this scheme may ultimately be borne, in part or in whole, by TfL itself”.

Responding to the MPs’ call to review the case for the project, a spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “Sadiq has been clear that he doesn’t want to replace one health crisis with another, and he is determined that our city’s recovery from Coronavirus will be clean, green and sustainable.

“A new tunnel at Silvertown is important because the existing infrastructure is both antiquated and worn out, and it will be funded by a toll, not TfL cash. Crucially, the tunnel will provide a public transport focused river crossing with improved bus links across the Thames.

“The combination of introducing tolls on both the Blackwall tunnel and at Silvertown – and the extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone from 2021 so that Silvertown will be within the area covered – will play a crucial role in tackling congestion and improving air quality,” the spokesman added.

TfL awarded a contract to design, build, finance and maintain the Silvertown Tunnel to the Riverlinx Consortium in November last year.

(Image: Transport for London)