Campaigners assert that a multibillion-pound tunnel beneath the River Thames will be obsolete from the moment it opens.
The inaugural passage for vehicles through the Silvertown tunnel in east London is scheduled for Monday, connecting Greenwich on the southern bank of the river with Newham to the north.
London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) officials argue that the new tunnel will significantly enhance cross-river transport in the capital, alleviating congestion and reducing air pollution.
However, the initiative has attracted considerable opposition from local residents, politicians, environmental scientists, and health professionals, who warn that it will exacerbate traffic and pollution levels—negatively affecting the health of residents in some of the country’s most disadvantaged boroughs. They also argue it risks entrenching a reliance on high-carbon transportation for many years to come.
Victoria Rance, leader of the Stop the Silvertown Tunnel Coalition, expressed the frustration felt by those voicing concerns over the project, emphasizing that the tunnel represents a 20th-century fix for a 21st-century dilemma.
“As cities throughout Europe invest in public transport and active travel—truly sustainable transport solutions—we are instead left with what amounts to outdated, 1970s technology … a highly polluting road tunnel that will become obsolete as soon as it opens,” she said.
Rance criticized the £2 billion project as a…
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Publish date : 2025-04-08 09:34:00
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