Both the Silvertown Tunnel’s boreholes have now been completed, it has emerged – but Sadiq Khan has been criticised for not publicising the milestone.
Transport for London has confirmed that the project’s main tunnelling works have finished, after photos taken from the nearby cable car – showing the tunnel boring machine on the north bank of the river – were shared with the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The machine – named Jill, after London’s first female bus driver – completed the first bore when it reached the river’s south bank in February. It was then rotated to make a return journey to the north bank, drilling the second bore in the process.
The 1.4km twin-bore road tunnel, which will include dedicated lanes for HGVs and buses, will link the Royal Docks with the Greenwich Peninsula when it opens in 2025, emerging next to the Blackwall Tunnel. Both the old and new crossings will be tolled.
The project has been controversial, with opponents arguing it will increase carbon emissions and worsen air quality and traffic.
Khan and TfL say the scheme will address queuing and delays at the Blackwall Tunnel. They also claim the project will reduce pollution.
The photos of the complete second borehole were taken on Thursday last week by Siân Berry, a Green member of the London Assembly.
Berry – who believes the scheme will increase car dependency and risk new traffic and pollution – wrote a report last year which proposed several alternative uses for the tunnel, including a tram system or an extension to the Docklands Light Railway.
She said on social media today: “The Silvertown tunnelling machine emerged from the second bore a week ago, but the absent fanfare shows exactly how ashamed the Mayor is about this massive blot on his climate record.
“Time to look seriously at sustainable transport uses for both tunnels, not polluting roads!”
Berry said earlier this week that Khan should “make this real blot on his record turn into something more positive”.
Approached for comment on the completion of the second bore, Helen Wright, head of the Silvertown Tunnel programme at TfL, said: “The main tunnelling works at Silvertown are now completed, which once open will support growth in the local area, provide new public transport connections across the river via zero-emission bus routes and address the chronic issues Londoners face at the Blackwall Tunnel.
“We remain committed to delivering this project with minimal impact to those living, working and visiting the local area and the project remains on target to be completed in 2025.”
TfL said it also remains committed to delivering an overall improvement in air quality as a result of the scheme.
The new tunnel will not allow cycling or walking. Last month TfL launched a consultation on long-awaited plans for a ‘bike bus’ to transport cyclists through the tunnel.
Both Greenwich and Newham councils oppose the tunnel, although a decade ago – under different leaders – the Labour boroughs were campaigning for it to be built. In June, one Greenwich councillor called the tunnel “a ticking timebomb”.
In his book Breathe, Tackling the Climate Emergency, Khan has called the tunnel “the green movement’s very own ‘vocal minority’ issue”. In January, he told the London Assembly: “One of the things you’ve got to do, whether a climate leader or a leader in other senses is to be honest and candid, and I’m being honest and candid in saying the Silvertown Tunnel addresses the [congestion] problems in this part of London, but also addresses the injustices where in this part of London, there are so few river crossings.
“There are so few options in relation to public transport, and there aren’t the links in public transport that there are in other parts of our city. That injustice is being addressed by this tunnel.”
Additional reporting by Darryl Chamberlain. Noah Vickers is the Local Democracy Reporter for City Hall, based at the Evening Standard. The Local Democracy Reporting Service is a BBC-funded scheme to help boost coverage of councils in the local media.
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