Five full weekend Blackwall tunnel closures soon for Silvertown tunnel work
The Blackwall tunnel will see extensive full weekend closures in the southbound direction in coming weeks for Silvertown tunnel work.
Transport for London state closures will see southbound traffic heading towards Greenwich needing to find alternative routes on:
- 13-15 January
- 20-22 January
- 27-29 January (a contingency weekend if either of the previous two weekends are not possible)
- 10-12 February
- 24-26 February
Bus route 108 will be curtailed each side of the river with passengers needing to switch to the Jubilee line.
Work during closures will see changes to the road configuration for the Silvertown Tunnel as well as new drainage as and over-height vehicle gantries installed.
Northbound traffic will use the southbound tunnel during works with the northbound slip road at Blackwall Lane closed and a diversion via the Woolwich Flyover roundabout.
The new tunnel is expected to open in 2025 and will be tolled alongside the Blackwall tunnel.
Upon opening greater levels of traffic are expected to head southbound each afternoon into Greenwich borough linking with the existing road network. Greater levels of congestion are forecast in many areas south of the river on TfL’s traffic modelling.
Revised models revealed in summer 2023 increase PM southbound traffic levels above prior expectations.
Two bus routes will head through Silvertown including the 129 extended to Beckton and an express Superloop bus that avoids most of Greenwich borough.
Proposed bus lanes in the tunnel are to be shared with HGVs and end immediately upon exiting the tunnel, with buses – both those using the tunnel and those in the wider area – meeting increased queues and traffic levels in various parts of Greenwich borough from 2025.
Traffic will be a nightmare both sides of the Silvertown Tunnel . The area is grid locked when there are issues with the tunnel already. You will need to allow more time for travelling during the Blackwall Tunnel closures.
We are expecting a huge increase in traffic in East and South East Lonon when the Silvertown Tunnel opens in 2025. Despite the current Mayor of London introducing toll charges to use both the Silvertown Tunnel and Blackwall Tunnels.
I drive through the tunnel daily, and you’re not wrong. The week ULEZ hit, traffic actually increased, before settling back down to its normal volume.
If anything, Southbound from 4.30, onwards is now increasingly tailbound since ULEZ (before, you would be better off driving up to SITS and doubling back via Old Dover Road rather than waiting for the Angerstein roundabout to clear).
I raised this at one of the open events, but if you’d been there you’d have seen what an utter farce it was – all that was missing was the late Barry Cryer