The controversial Silvertown Tunnel is finally set to open this spring after a long few years getting the plans approved and the whole thing built. Transport for London (TfL) is in the final stages of testing the modern new tunnel between South and East London before it opens to the public.
Announced in 2012, the 1.4km route will officially open on April 7, 2025. TfL expects that the new tunnel will shave up to 20 minutes off commutes.
Silvertown Tunnel map showing the route
As the map above shows, the tunnel will go from Greenwich Peninsula, near The O2 Arena, to East London, not far from London City Airport.
The orange and red lines indicate the Cycle Bus Route, inbound and outbound, respectively. More on the Cycle Bus can be found below.
The green-dotted line indicates the planned upgrades to cycle facilities. The purple-dotted route indicates the existing cycleway towards Woolwich. The yellow-dotted line indicates the planned upgrades to Tidal Basin Road and Leamouth Crossing, connecting to an existing cycleway at the latter road.
TfL charges set with exemptions made for some
There will also be discounts for some
(Image: Transport for London)
A charge will be levied by TfL on users of the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels between 6am and 10pm, seven days a week. TfL said that both need to be charged to ensure that traffic levels do not increase as a result of drivers seeking to use the uncharged crossing.
An off-peak rate of £1.50 will apply the majority of the time for vehicles registered for TfL AutoPay.
To manage traffic during the busiest times, peak charges will apply, set at £1 more than standard off-peak charges for motorcycles and an extra £2.50 for cars and small vans.
Large vans will pay an extra £4 and HGVs will pay an extra £5 during peak hours.
These will apply for four hours northbound in the morning (from 6am to 10am) and three hours southbound in the evening (from 4pm to 7pm), Monday to Friday, or for anyone not using TfL Auto Pay.
Concessions and discounts will be available, including a 50 per cent discount for low-income residents in 12 east and southeast London boroughs and the City of London.
These boroughs are Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest and the City of London.
There will also be a £1 discount on the standard off-peak charge for at least one year for small businesses, sole traders and charities registered in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Greenwich.
All buses, coaches and vehicles with nine seats or more registered with the DVLA will automatically be exempt.
Taxis, blue badge holders, and wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles registered with TfL will not be charged.
‘Zero-Emission Capable’ Private Hire Vehicles licensed by TfL – which currently make up at least 40 per cent of the 93,000 fleet – will also be exempt. Vehicles registered under the Accredited Breakdown/Recovery vehicle discount will also not have to pay a charge.
Tunnel charges will also be reimbursed to NHS staff and patients eligible through the NHS reimbursement scheme
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London bus schedule updated with free journeys planned
Transport for London has finally announced the opening date of the Silvertown Tunnel, which could see drivers charged daily to use the new roads.
New bus routes will be launched from April 7. This will increase the hourly number of buses crossing the river in the area from six to 21.
All bus journeys made on three cross-river routes that serve Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich, as well as cross-river journeys on the DLR from Cutty Sark to Island Gardens and from Woolwich Arsenal to King George V, will be free for at least one year.
All buses will be zero emission too.
Cycle shuttle service
TfL says that the service will also have a unique look and feel to help distinguish it from the regular bus network
(Image: TfL)
A ‘cycle-shuttle’ service will allow people with cycles to cross the river via a high-frequency bus service for cyclists around Silvertown and North Greenwich. This zero-emission service will operate between 6.30am and 9.30pm seven days a week and be free to use for at least the first year.
It will operate very 12 minutes with a ‘north’ stop on Seagull Lane close to Royal Victoria DLR station, and the ‘south’ stop located on Millennium Way near the junction with Old School Close .
TfL says that the service will also have a unique look and feel to help distinguish it from the regular bus network. This branding will be used on the buses, the stops and shelters, and on the wayfinding signs to raise awareness of the new service. Maps showing local cycle routes will also be on display at shelters to help with journey planning and encourage further journeys by cycle. Further details of the branding will be revealed in the coming months.
Work on Tidal Basin Roundabout, together with new walking and cycling routes around the roundabout and along Dock Road, has also recently been completed, with work on improving Lower Lea Crossing for all road users currently underway and due to be complete by the end of spring 2025.