Blackwall tunnel closed again due to Silvertown tunnel work
This weekend sees another closure of the Blackwall tunnel all weekend southbound owing to Silvertown tunnel works.
Work follows on from last weeks closure to construct approach roads and infrastructure.
Over the past week the Conservatives have decided to make tolling both tunnels from 2025 a campaign issue despite it being known about for a decade.
When the tunnel was pushed by Boris Johnson as Conservative Mayor of London back in the early 2010s it was as part of a project to toll both tunnels. That remained when Tory Transport Minister Chris Grayling approved the Development Consent Order in 2018.
Therefore a toll should be of no surprise to anyone who’s paid attention for years – and that includes most Tories who now appear keen on making an issue of it.
Much like with trying to make a big play on forthcoming minuscule rail service changes after mass cuts on Southeastern Metro, it does smell of treating the electorate as utter fools without any functioning memory.
However as some have long warned, tolls could be removed by a future Mayor. It would utterly cripple roads in large parts of London and bring the TfL transport network including buses, tube and the DLR to its knees but if that’s what the Conservative’s are now arguing, they could be honest about it.
It would require paying £2 billion. TfL do not have £2 billion.
No tolls was never the Tories position for a decade as they first pushed the plan then approved it. To now try to claim they oppose is pretty laughable.
