The introduction of road charging for two Thames tunnel crossings in east London may lead to a “detrimental” impact on Tower Bridge, the custodians of the capital’s most-photographed bridge have warned.
Transport for London (TfL) is to open the Silvertown Tunnel, linking Greenwich and Newham, on April 7. It is the first new Thames road crossing in more than 50 years.
Car drivers using the Silvertown Tunnel will be charged £4 during peak hours, while drivers of large vans and heavy goods vehicles will be charged £6.50 and £10 respectively. Users of the adjacent Blackwall Tunnel will also be charged a toll from Monday.
TfL believes that charging for both is necessary to avoid congestion caused by drivers opting for the free road crossing over and above the paid tunnel, negating the benefits of the Silvertown project.
However, the City Bridge Foundation (CBF), which looks after Tower Bridge and four other Thames bridges at no cost to the taxpayer, has expressed concerns that drivers will look for the closest free river crossing to traverse the Thames. Given Rotherhithe Tunnel is largely impassable to heavy goods traffic and the Woolwich car ferry offers limited capacity, the next option is Tower Bridge
Easy charge £4 to cross Tower Bridge
I’d be staggered if freight operators considered the detour via tower bridge, which would take an hour at the best of times, was worth saving £10 for.
It’s not worth paying someone an hour’s extra wage.
£4 is a bit steep, Dartford tunnel is only £2.50 (and I don’t agree with that shit either).
Why not wait and see what happens first?
Day one, some drivers might try it. Spend two hours to cross the river and then go back to using Blackwall/Silvertown the next day. It might mean more traffic outside Rush hour(s) though.
Ban lorries over a certain weight on tower bridge ? It wasn’t designed for today’s juggernauts.
There are very few circumstances where I would want to cross Tower Bridge on anything more mechanically complex than my own feet.
I rarely go ‘sarf o’ the river’ and when I do, it’s usually at the weekend. I often find it just as easy to take Tower bridge on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
I have already decided it will be a cold day in hell before I use the Blackwall/Rotherhithe toll routes
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The introduction of road charging for two Thames tunnel crossings in east London may lead to a “detrimental” impact on Tower Bridge, the custodians of the capital’s most-photographed bridge have warned.
Transport for London (TfL) is to open the Silvertown Tunnel, linking Greenwich and Newham, on April 7. It is the first new Thames road crossing in more than 50 years.
Car drivers using the Silvertown Tunnel will be charged £4 during peak hours, while drivers of large vans and heavy goods vehicles will be charged £6.50 and £10 respectively. Users of the adjacent Blackwall Tunnel will also be charged a toll from Monday.
TfL believes that charging for both is necessary to avoid congestion caused by drivers opting for the free road crossing over and above the paid tunnel, negating the benefits of the Silvertown project.
However, the City Bridge Foundation (CBF), which looks after Tower Bridge and four other Thames bridges at no cost to the taxpayer, has expressed concerns that drivers will look for the closest free river crossing to traverse the Thames. Given Rotherhithe Tunnel is largely impassable to heavy goods traffic and the Woolwich car ferry offers limited capacity, the next option is Tower Bridge
Easy charge £4 to cross Tower Bridge
I’d be staggered if freight operators considered the detour via tower bridge, which would take an hour at the best of times, was worth saving £10 for.
It’s not worth paying someone an hour’s extra wage.
£4 is a bit steep, Dartford tunnel is only £2.50 (and I don’t agree with that shit either).
Why not wait and see what happens first?
Day one, some drivers might try it. Spend two hours to cross the river and then go back to using Blackwall/Silvertown the next day. It might mean more traffic outside Rush hour(s) though.
Ban lorries over a certain weight on tower bridge ? It wasn’t designed for today’s juggernauts.
There are very few circumstances where I would want to cross Tower Bridge on anything more mechanically complex than my own feet.
I rarely go ‘sarf o’ the river’ and when I do, it’s usually at the weekend. I often find it just as easy to take Tower bridge on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
I have already decided it will be a cold day in hell before I use the Blackwall/Rotherhithe toll routes
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