Transport for London reports give update on Silvertown Tunnel
With less than a year until opening Transport for London have uploaded a couple of documents looking at the latest with Silvertown Tunnel work.
One document contains presentation slides while the other is a report. The report states that work is ongoing within the tunnel on systems fit-out:
“The major civils and excavation works are now complete with focus turning to the systems fit-out.
“The first fix of the cable trays and fire system has been completed, with cabling being installed in many parts of the tunnel, large stretches of the tunnel walls are painted and all of the ventilation fans are installed”.
Documents date from July and TfL have a been a little slow in getting them uploaded. It mentions both tunnel portal structures are all but complete which has been visible for some months.
A substantial new road layout on the north side of the tunnel sees the “Tidal Basin roundabout…now in its final state”.
Public realm
There’s mention of landscaping being installed which we’ve seen for a while, including around the Boord Street bridge.
Landscaping around the bridge is limited in scope and much of the dire public realm on the approach for cyclists and pedestrians remains (the report doesn’t mention that).
Issues still to be undertaken include mitigation work. A very modest programme is expected and many of the issues with streets unsuited to pedestrians and cyclists around the tunnel are not to be addressed.
That includes areas such as those beneath flyovers on approach to the “cycle bus” – which is only guaranteed for a year anyway.
North of the river
What will be installed are noise barriers along a stretch south of the river. In terms of physically improving streets, none are in Greenwich.
The three sites where physical mitigation is to be undertaken are A13/A102, Preston’s Roundabout and Bow Roundabout.
It’s almost impressive how Greenwich Council managed to negotiate zero improvements to many dismal streets across east Greenwich and the peninsula in exchange for their earlier support for the crossing, which they later altered.
The cycle bus consultation results were revealed in July 2024. The expectation is people will cycle – often on dismal streets – to wait for a bus that’ll carry them over. I’m not sure anyone takes it too seriously.
Other notable sections from Transport for London within the report include an expectation that there will be zero “impact on traffic flow and composition at nearby crossings (incl. Tower Bridge, Rotherhithe Tunnel, Woolwich Ferry, Dartford Crossing) when tolls are implemented on both the new tunnel and Blackwall tunnel.
We shall see.
You can view both the July 2024 report and presentation slides at the Silvertown Tunnel Implementation Group page. The £2.2bn tunnel is being constructed by private consortium Riverlinx on behalf of TfL.
One last thing is that there’s another Blackwall tunnel closure southbound is coming this weekend.
Last August TFL wrote to the residents (myself included) along the Westcombe Hill viaduct, telling them to clear the back of the gardens as they were planning to start work on the noise barriers around September 2023. A follow-up letter in January 2024 acknowledged the issues raised regarding encroachment, and then the design of the barrier. Nothing else since then.
I like the edgy feel of it meself. Ere are don’t lump in pedestrians with cyclists, we’re more likely to be it by them than cars nahadays on ere.
With the Silvertown Tunnel to be completed next year. What about building a new DLR station at Thames Wharf that is very much close to the Silvertown Tunnel and of course new housing development to be built.