Skip to main content

Mayor sets out bold vision for 13 new river crossings for London

A bold vision to transform cross-river travel in London has been unveiled by the Mayor of London. A total of 13 new tunnels and bridges have been proposed as part of the Mayor’s vision for the future of the Capital, increasing the total number of river crossings between Imperial Wharf and Dartford by more than a third, and the number for pedestrian and cyclists by nearly 50 per cent. The proposals, which would cater for both public transport and road users, are detailed in a new strategic plan that
December 4, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A bold vision to transform cross-river travel in London has been unveiled by the Mayor of London.
 
A total of 13 new tunnels and bridges have been proposed as part of the Mayor’s vision for the future of the Capital, increasing the total number of river crossings between Imperial Wharf and Dartford by more than a third, and the number for pedestrian and cyclists by nearly 50 per cent.
 
The proposals, which would cater for both public transport and road users, are detailed in a new strategic plan that outlines how vital new cross-river transport links are in securing London’s future success.
 
The report, Connecting the Capital, shows how the proposed crossings will support the needs of London’s rapidly growing population, which is set to rise from 8.6 million now to 10 million by 2030.
 
Subject to funding, the new crossings will be progressed across London to be delivered between now and 2050. The majority will be in east London, where population growth will be highest – with over one third of London’s total population growth expected in the area.  Existing cross-river connections in east London are poor, with just three road crossings in the 23km between Tower Bridge and the M25, and just one bus route that crosses the river.
 
A consultation has been launched on two of the proposed crossings to improve connections between east and southeast London. 1466 Transport for London (TfL) is consulting on crossings at Gallions Reach to link Thamesmead and Beckton, and Belvedere, linking Belvedere to Rainham. Both are planned to include a range of transport options and the consultation is asking for views about potential public transport links.

Related Content

  • Why integrated traffic management needs a cohesive approach
    April 10, 2012
    Traffic control is increasingly being viewed as one essential element of a wider ‘system of systems’ – the smart city. Jason Barnes, Jon Masters and David Crawford report on latest ideas and efforts for making cities ‘smarter’ Virtually every element of the fabric and utilitarian operations that make urban areas tick can now be found somewhere in the mix that is the ‘smart city’ agenda. Ideas have expanded and projects pursued in different directions as the rhetoric on making cities ‘smarter’ has grown. App
  • London underground goes contactless
    September 9, 2014
    From next week, Transport for London (TfL) is to introduce contactless payments on London’s tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and National Rail services that accept Oyster. The new option, which is part of a range of improvements TfL is making for customers, means that passengers will no longer need to spend time topping up Oyster balances because fares are charged directly to payment card accounts. Contactless payments were launched on London's buses in December 2012. A successful pilot of the cont
  • Upgrade for London’s traffic signals
    August 19, 2014
    Technology services company, telent, along with three other suppliers, has been awarded a contract worth well over US$166.5 million from Transport for London (TfL). The overall contract is an eight-year agreement that will see the capital's 6,000 traffic signals upgraded and maintained to the latest, greenest standards. telent's contract is believed to be the largest single traffic signal supply and maintenance contract ever awarded in the UK. Telent will supply, install and maintain all traffic control
  • Gearing up for the global electric vehicle revolution
    May 3, 2019
    As transport, communications and energy networks become inextricably linked, policy makers are recognising the implications for our built environment – and the growing electric vehicle market will have a major impact on the world’s infrastructure, says Rolton Group’s Chris Evans