It’s good news that the Lower Thames Crossing is going ahead.
Traffic jams at the Dartford Crossing are a nightmare and it’s high time we had an alternative route to cross the Thames. The planned location to the east of the current crossings will help connect Kent to East Anglia and the north of England. That’s clearly useful for any of us heading that way, and over time it will boost Kent’s economy.
That said, missing from the government’s announcement was a commitment to also invest in the road network further south, specifically the M2-A2 corridor, Brenley Corner and Blue Bell Hill. These routes will all need upgrading to cope with the extra traffic, otherwise the Lower Thames Crossing will only move the bottleneck elsewhere. Also missing from the announcement was clarity on how the new crossing will be funded.
On the topic of investment in the road network further south, National Highways conducted a review into traffic problems at Brenley Corner and they’re telling me their findings later this month. The Government will make the final decision on whether there will be improvements to the junction in June. This is the kind of investment needed alongside commitments like the Lower Thames Crossing, and I will make sure to keep you posted along the way.
