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We don’t need the Silvertown toll tunnel
STEWART McGILL argues the estimated £2bn cost of the project which will inevitably increase road traffic should be spent on improving London’s public transport system instead

THE Silvertown Tunnel is a planned road tunnel under the Thames in East London connecting Greenwich and Silvertown. The stated intention is to reduce congestion through the Blackwall Tunnel. Toll charges will be imposed on both tunnels when the Silvertown opens in 2025.

The tunnel will include lanes for buses and HGVs but will not be accessible to walkers or cyclists.

The construction of the Silvertown Tunnel is planned to cost £1bn, however figures from the capital’s transport operator show that the overall cost for building, maintaining and operating the tunnel will be £65m a year from its scheduled opening in 2025.

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