Blackwall Tunnel closure causes chaos

Hi all

Some of you may know that from Sunday (7 February) that the Blackwall Tunnel northbound will face evening closures for the next three years. Here is a blog about what is happening and what the consequences of this closure means.

Background

The northbound Blackwall Tunnel is going to close in the evenings to allow new fire and incident detection systems, better lighting, better access for emergency access and new CCTV to be installed. In addition, modernisation works will be carried out on the 112 year old tunnel. The northbound tunnel is the oldest of the two Blackwall tunnels.

Garrett Emmerson, the Chief Operating Officer for Streets for TfL described what the works mean:

Yet more than a century later, 50,000 vehicles a day drive through this vital transport artery.

Our refurbishment programme will enhance the safety and security of everyone who uses the tunnel, and will prolong the life of this busy commuter route across the Thames.

We are doing everything we can to ensure the refurbishment of the tunnel is carried out with the minimum disruption to road users, and we ask people to bear with us while these important safety improvements are carried out.

The evening closure begins on 7 February for three years and is due to be completed by December 2012.

What does the closure mean?

Transport for London have assessed the situation and have agreed to close the northbound tunnel between 9pm to 5am Sunday to Friday for the next three years.

Because of this, it means that northbound traffic will be using the southbound tunnel during this time. A 20 mph speed limit has been imposed with average speed cameras installed to monitor the speed of the traffic. This is bad news for drivers going southbound as they will have to find alternative river crossings.

Anger to drivers

This is not good news to many drivers who depend on the Blackwall Tunnel. The work is going to be three years long and it means many users of the tunnel who want to head southbound will have to find alternative river crossings (see next section).

Two issues had been raised, the first was why start the closure as early as 9pm ans secondly, an argument made by drivers was suggesting a contra-flow system that would allow traffic to flow both ways. However, Transport for London said that it would not have been practical and won’t change its plan. They said to The Docklands newspaper:

If the works were to begin later than 9pm we simply could not carry out as much work each night, meaning the project would take much longer than three years.

Contra-flow creates the risk of a head on collision involving an HGV which increases the risk of a catastrophic fire and the closure of the tunnel for a long time.

Alternative river crossings – a problem?

Southbound traffic will be unable to use the Blackwall Tunnel during the closure, so what alternatives have they got? Here is the list of alternative river crossings…

- Rotherhithe Tunnel: This is a pretty narrow tunnel that drivers can use. It has a 20 mph limit though and the road is very narrow. However, the Rotherhithe Tunnel is closed on Monday evenings which will frustrate drivers.

- Tower Bridge: A little bit further in central London and not part of the congestion charge. However, there will be a three month closure later this year. Where else can the drivers go when this happens?

- Woolwich Ferry: At 9pm, the ferry service has already closed! The Woolwich Ferry is closed at 8pm Mondays to Saturdays and 7:30pm Sundays. So this option is out of the question!

- Dartford Crossing: This is the last resort! But the furthest away from central London (some 18 miles!). You will get charged to get across, then you will have to somehow travel back into London again! Not so easy.

This goes back to the subject of the lack of river crossings. The Thames Gateway Bridge for example was cancelled. But the prospect of a new bridge coming won’t be happening anytime soon.

Blackwall Tunnel Toll charging rejected

A business group, London First suggested that Transport for London should charge drivers to use the Blackwall Tunnel to fund for a new bridge across the Thames.

This would have angered motorists if such a plan was to be given the go ahead. Transport for London confirmed with The Docklands newspaper that no such plans to implement tolls on the Blackwall Tunnel would go ahead.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson is keen to get a river crossing between Woolwich and Silvertown, however he has not confirmed where the funding for the crossing would come from.

Bus Route 108

There’s only one bus service that uses the Blackwall Tunnel, that is the 24 hour service, Route 108 which runs between Lewisham and Canning Town. Plans have been put in place such that between 9pm and 1am, Route 108 will run in two sections: Lewisham to North Greenwich and Stratford to Canning Town. Passengers would use the Jubilee line between Canning Town and North Greenwich to make connections.

When the Jubilee line is closed, between 1am and 5am, Route 108 would be escorted every half hour into the southbound tunnel. Northbound traffic would be halted. By this time, very little traffic is operating, so this should not prove much of a problem.

Conclusion

Despite the rejections made about the evening closures on the northbound tunnel, it seems nothing can be done and that the plans are set in stone. Here’s to three year evening closure and some misery to drivers who depend on the crossing southbound.

What do you think of the evening closures? Let me know!