THE DECISIONS and options for the Lower Dartford Crossing loom closer.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is expected to launch a public consultation on three options for the crossing in May.
YT understands that the main preference is that the third crossing is not alongside the existing two crossings at Dartford.
The three options are:
A. They are at Dartford adjacent to the existing bridge.
B. West of Tilbury from the Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent
C. East of Tilbury coming up from Gravesend.
Option C seems to have created the greatest stir with many concerned that it would cause a scar through Tilbury, Chadwell, Orsett and out onto the green fields of Essex.
The DfT will reduce the shortlist to put forward a preferred bridge or tunnel option for each location.
Thurrock MP, Jackie Doyle-Price has made her feelings known on the subject, stating that she did not want a “motorway” through the borough.
Whilst Kent bosses have told local newspapers that: “Our main preference is against option A, another crossing at Dartford, because this will do nothing for network resilience at a location already vulnerable to major incidents and it offers nowhere near the same opportunities for economic growth,” he said.
“The other two corridors offer far better strategic routes for Kent’s ports,” he said.
But Thurrock Council leader, John Kent told a meeting of the full council last week that he would like to explore another option.
Cllr Kent said: “There is always another option and that is none of the above.
“I have not seen a credible case put forward for any of the options.
“I can only re-inforce that the priorities must be free-flow tolling at the Dartford Crossing as well as improvements to Junction 30.”
Cllr Kent is absolutely right:in fact, there is a credible case showing that numbers of vehicles using the crossing are steadily declining.
It is the congestion of the toll barriers/junctions which causes the problem – so much more cost- effective, environmentally sound and logical to sort that out.
This government have their priorities all wrong. Rather than dealing with immigration, law and order etc they seem to be giving Tory voters a kick in the teeth. First through HS2, then through relaxing planning controls on the green belt and now by trying to build yet another expensive crossing in the marginal Essex/Kent Thameside area.
Why don’t they just remove the tolls, remodel junction 30/1 (which the Chancellor has said he will do thanks to JDP) into one junction, implement a proper speed limit on the bridge/through the tunnel to minimise accidents, better signage – especially for those going from Essex to Bluewater and keep a small highways team at the crossing to ensure it runs like clockwork. I know these ideas seem obvious to most yet the government would rather waste millions building a new crossing, losing thousands of voters in the process, rather than better what we already have. This country has a bad habit of just building more and more rather than improving existing structures.
Cllr Kent and Jackie Doyle Price are 100% right. There is no need for another crossing through Thurrock.
[…] Whether these are going to be bridges or tunnels is not clear at the moment. Options A and C could be either – with option B, given the already built up nature of the area, our guess is that it would have to be a tunnel. Kent County Council are against option A and favour either option B or C. The proposals have brought about a rare degree of political unanimity with both Thurrock Council leader John Kent (Lab) and Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price (Con) coming out strongly against option C. See Your Thurrock for the full story: http://www.yourthurrock.com/2013/01/30/lower-dartford-crossing-none-of-the-above-should-be-an-option… […]