Funding announced to start construction on Lower Thames Crossing

The Treasury has announced £590 million to start construction on the Lower Thames Crossing as part of a £1 billion package to repair bridges, roads and tunnels.

Across Great Britain, approximately 3,000 bridges are currently unable to support the heaviest vehicles, restricting access for agricultural and freight transport and slowing down journey times.

The Structures Fund aims to ensure other transport infrastructure is both more resilient to extreme weather events and to the demands of modern transport.

The £590m for the Lower Thames Crossing, which the Government gave the green light to at the start of the year, aims to kickstart the project.

The Government will look to bring in private finance and expertise to support this major project.

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said: “When it comes to investing in Britain’s renewal, we’re going all in by going up against the painful disruption of closed bridges, crossings and flyovers, and ensure they’re fit to serve working people for decades to come.

“Today’s investment also goes even further and faster to spread growth by providing critical funding to take forward the Lower Thames Crossing – not just boosting connectivity in the southeast, but ensuring a smoother, less congested passage of vital goods from Europe to our regions.”

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said that the Lower Thames Crossing had been “stuck in planning limbo for far too long”.

She explained: “This project is essential for improving the resilience of a key freight route and is critical to our long-term trade with Europe.

“It will speed up the movement of goods from southeast England to the Midlands and the north, crucial to thousands of jobs and businesses.”

The Government is expected to set out more detail about how funding will be allocated shortly. 

Declan Pang, director of public affairs and policy for England at the Road Haulage Association (RHA), welcomed the funding announcement.

He said: “This pledge is a sign of the continuing commitment to one of the most transformative highways schemes in the country which will bring about significant benefits for our industry and the wider economy.

“The scheme is estimated to cost £9bn and we continue to await further information on the broader funding settlement for the scheme to ensure that the crossing is delivered in as efficient and cost-effective way as possible.”

He added: “The announcement on funding to improve bridges and structures is good news for the commercial vehicle sector.

“Weight restrictions and weak bridges present a significant challenge and can force hauliers and coach operators to take longer, less efficient routes. This increases fuel costs, journey times, and carbon emissions.

“The need for urgent investment is critical to ensure our industry can operate efficiently and safely.”

Kevin Green, policy director at Logistics UK, added: “Our members are delighted to hear that funding has been made available to start work on the long-planned Lower Thames Crossing, after a decade of holdups at this vital interchange.

“It is imperative that the Government also sets out a plan for providing and securing the full funding required to complete the project – our members deserve to be able to deliver efficiently for the industry they support, so that the economy can benefit.”

The A122 Lower Thames Crossing project, which was granted planning permission in March, aims to tackle long-standing congestion at Dartford by almost doubling road capacity across the Thames east of London.