Blackwall Tunnel

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Entrance to the Victorian bore from the Kent side

The Blackwall Tunnel is a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in London, linking Middlesex with Kent, forming part of the A102 road. The Middlesex portal lies just south of the East India Dock Road (A13) in Blackwall; the Kent entrances are just south of The Millennium Dome on the Greenwich Peninsula.} The road is managed by Transport for London (TfL).

The tunnel was originally opened as a single bore in 1897 by the then Prince of Wales, as a major transport project to improve commerce and trade in London's East End, and supported a mix of foot, cycle, horse-drawn and vehicular traffic. By the 1930s, capacity was becoming inadequate, and consequently a second bore opened in 1967, handling southbound traffic while the earlier 19th century tunnel handled northbound.

The northern approach takes traffic from the A12 and the southern approach takes traffic from the A2, making the tunnel crossing a key link for both local and longer-distance traffic between the north and south sides of the river. It forms part of a key route into Central London from the south-east and was the easternmost all-day crossing for vehicles before the opening of the Dartford Tunnel in 1963. It remains the easternmost free fixed road crossing of the Thames, and regularly suffers congestion, to the extent that tidal flow schemes were in place from 1978 until controversially removed in 2007. Proposals to solve the traffic problems have included building a third bore, constructing alternative crossings of the Thames such as the now-cancelled Thames Gateway Bridge or the Silvertown Tunnel, and providing better traffic management, particularly for heavy goods vehicles.

The tunnels are no longer open to pedestrians, cyclists or other non-motorised traffic,[1] and the northbound tunnel has a 13ft height limit. The London Buses route 108 between Lewisham and Stratford runs through the tunnels.

History

Old tunnel

A tunnel in the Blackwall area was originally proposed in the 1880s. According to Robert Webster, then MP for St Pancras East, a tunnel would "be very useful to the East End of London, a district representing in trade and commerce a population greater than the combined populations of Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham."[2] By this time, all road bridges in London east of the ferry at Chiswick were toll-free, but these were of little use to the two fifths of London's population that lived to the east of London Bridge. The Thames Tunnel (Blackwall) Act was created in August 1887, which provided the legal framework necessary to construct the tunnel.[2][3] The initial proposal, made by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, called for three parallel tunnels, two for vehicular traffic and one for foot,[4] with an expected completion date of works within seven years. It was originally commissioned by the Metropolitan Board of Works but, just before the contract was due to start, responsibility passed to the London County Council (LCC) when the former body was abolished in 1889 and Bazalgette's work on the tunnel ended.[5]

The entrance to the tunnel in 1899, when it was still a single bore

The original tunnel as built was designed by Sir Alexander Binnie and built by S. Pearson & Sons, between 1892 and 1897,[3][5] for whom Ernest William Moir was its lead engineer. It was constructed using tunnelling shield and compressed air techniques[6] and a Greathead shield (named after its inventor, James Henry Greathead).[7] It was lit by three rows of incandescent street lights.[5] To clear the site in Greenwich, more than 600 people had to be rehoused,[8] and a house reputedly once owned by Sir Walter Raleigh had to be demolished.[9] The tunnel was officially opened by the Prince of Wales on 22 May 1897. The total cost of the tunnel was £1.4 M[8] and 800 men were employed in its construction,[5] during which seven deaths were recorded.[8]

The southern entrance gateway to the tunnel, also known as Southern Tunnel House, was designed by LCC architect Thomas Blashill and was built just before the tunnel was completed. It comprises two floors with an attic.[10]

Today the western bore is only used for northbound traffic and is not accessible to vehicles taller than 13 ft.[11] The tunnel itself has several sharp bends, whose purpose was to prevent horses from bolting once they saw daylight.[10][12] The tunnel carries two lanes of traffic, though higher vehicles need to keep to the left-hand lane so that they do not hit the tunnel's inner lining.

New tunnel

The northern ventilation towers for the new Blackwall tunnel, February 2006

Due to the increase in motor traffic in the early 20th century, the capacity of the original tunnel was soon perceived as inadequate. In 1930, John Mills, MP for Dartford, remarked that HGVs delivering from Essex to Kent could not practically use any crossing of the Thames downstream of the tunnel.[13] The LCC obtained an act to construct a new tunnel in 1938, but work did not start due to the outbreak of World War II. Construction eventually started in 1958 with preliminary work on the northern approach road.[5][14] By this time, traffic had become progressively worse. In 1960, Richard Marsh, MP for Greenwich complained that vehicles could spend 30 to 45 minutes stuck in tunnel traffic.[15]

The new eastern tunnel, 28 ft 2 in in diameter, was accepted into the roads programme in March 1959, and construction started in March 1960.[16] It was opened on 2 August 1967 by Desmond Plummer, Leader of the Greater London Council (GLC).[17] It was wider and usable by vehicles up to 15 ft 6 in. During construction, transport minister Ernest Marples clarified that unlike the Dartford Tunnel, also then under construction, tolls would not be imposed as the tunnel was already an established route.[18] At the time of opening, the strip lighting in the tunnel was commended as "a big improvement"[17] on the standard provided in the original tunnel. In contrast with the Victorian northbound tunnel, the eastern tunnel had no sharp bends, and emergency telephones were provided. Its distinctive ventilation towers were designed in 1964 by GLC architect Terry Farrell.[5][10]

In the late 1960s, proposals were made to connect the tunnel with a free-flow, grade-separated motorway system as part of the London Ringways project.[19] Aside from the construction of the A102(M) Blackwall Tunnel approach roads, opened in 1973,[20][21] these plans were abandoned.

The entrance gateway to the northbound tunnel was Grade II listed in 1973, while the ventilation towers were listed in 2000.[10] In April 1986, the tunnel became part of the UK trunk road network.[22] It was detrunked and control handed to TfL in September 1999.[23][24]

Nearest alternative crossings

The nearest alternative road crossings are the Rotherhithe Tunnel, two miles to the west; Tower Bridge, three miles to the west; and the Dartford Crossing, 16 miles to the east. The Woolwich Free Ferry is two miles to the east, but is closed overnight, often reduced to one boat in operation, or completely closed at weekends. Variable message signs (VMS) near the tunnel inform drivers if the ferry is available.[25] When open, queuing for the ferry causes significant congestion around Woolwich town centre.[26]

Underground railway links include the Jubilee line from North Greenwich (TfL) to Canning Town on the east and Canary Wharf on the west. The Docklands Light Railway also passes under the Thames between Island Gardens at the southern end of the Isle of Dogs and Cutty Sark in the centre of Greenwich.

Horse-drawn traffic was partially banned from the tunnel during peak hours in July 1939[27] and completely banned in August 1947.[28] Pedestrians have been banned from using the Blackwall Tunnels since May 1969,[1] but pedestrians and cyclists may also use the foot tunnels at Greenwich (close to Island Gardens and Cutty Sark stations) and Woolwich (close to the Woolwich Ferry).

Traffic management

The northbound Blackwall Tunnel is a traffic bottleneck with tailbacks.[29] A TfL study in 2009 revealed that the mile-long approach to the northbound tunnel took around 19 minutes in rush hour traffic.[30] To relieve the congestion, a tidal flow system was introduced in 1978, allowing northbound traffic to use the eastern tunnel.[29] The congestion is not limited to weekday rush hours. There is often congestion with tailbacks at the weekends, especially on Sunday evenings. Due to its sharp turns with restricted headroom, high-sided vehicles can only use the left-hand lane of the western tunnel, so it was not possible to reverse the tidal flow in the evening. On 20 April 2007 the morning tidal flow was discontinued, after reports by TfL and the Metropolitan Police (MPS) of an increase in dangerous motoring behaviour; these blamed poor driving, such as overtaking, for the decrease in safety during counterflow operations.[29][31] The decision to end the counterflow was controversial, particularly as TfL and the MPS had been considering it since 2005, without properly informing affected borough councils, and an independent committee was set up to evaluate the decision.[32] The ending of the counterflow system has brought protests from users of the tunnel and those experiencing increased congestion due to the change.[33]

In November 2007, the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone responded to complaints from Greenwich Council about congestion in the area, with the possibility of setting up a small congestion charging zone. He clarified that this would not extend to the Blackwall Tunnel, stating "I have given that commitment right the way through my period as Mayor, and there cannot be anything that impacts on the A2 because the impact then on Lewisham is unacceptable."[34] In 2012, TfL announced their intention to toll the tunnels to pay for the Silvertown Link crossing, suggesting it was the "most appropriate way".[35][36] Responding to this, Paul Watters from the AA said "We’ve already seen the Western extension of the congestion charge dropped because it was hugely unpopular and I think tolling on the Blackwall Tunnel will be as controversial as that."[37]

In June 2013, TfL announced they would send registration details of any broken-down or over-height commercial vehicle in the tunnel to the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), and set up a new automatic recognition system to detect unsuitable heavy goods vehicles heading towards it. TfL commissioner Sir Peter Hendy said that "this partnership working will help improve traffic flow on one of the busiest routes in the capital."[38]

Maintenance and closures

Southern Tunnel House, at the southern entrance to the tunnel. The gateway house is now Grade II listed.

The Blackwall Tunnel has attracted criticism in the past for its perceived lack of safety. In 2002, a survey by major motoring organisations rated the tunnel's safety record as "very poor", and concluded it was one of the least safe tunnels in Europe.[12][39] In 2010, the northbound tunnel was refurbished in order to meet current safety standards. Fire detection systems have been installed in response to new European regulations in the light of recent tunnel fires.[40]

In 2010, the southbound tunnel was affected by planned closures for maintenance from 10 pm to 5 am, Thursday to Sunday inclusive,[41] and over a number of whole weekends.[40] The tunnel was only closed six full weekends instead of the planned ten,[42] but it is still being regularly closed to traffic for maintenance as of March 2013.[43]

The tunnel also suffers regular problems with strikes from over-height traffic, and vehicles running out of fuel.[11] On 10 December 1996, a man drove a Mercedes truck supporting a crane towards the southbound tunnel, ignored warnings that his vehicle was over-height, and struck a gantry, breaking a steel reinforcement frame in the process. The entire tunnel was immediately closed, not only to retrieve the vehicle, but to perform additional safety checks. Because the Limehouse Link tunnel, which runs near to the north end of the Blackwall Tunnel, and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, part of the Dartford Crossing, were also closed on the same day, the accident caused one of the worst traffic jams in the capital.[44] In February 2011, TfL reported that the tunnel had been closed 1,200 times in the previous year for a total of 157 hours,[11] while New Civil Engineer magazine claimed it shut 1,448 times in 2010.[42] To try to prevent closures of this nature, an LED noticeboard was set up in the northbound approach, counting the number of breakdowns and accidents per month occurring inside the tunnel.[11]

Future

The continual congestion and requirements for closures and refurbishments are unlikely to change, as the Blackwall Tunnel remains the only major road crossing of the Thames in east London for the short-term future. The proposed Thames Gateway Bridge, a new crossing between the Woolwich Ferry and the Dartford Crossing, was cancelled by Boris Johnson when he replaced Livingstone as mayor in 2008.[45]

A third bore of the tunnel, replacing the old Victorian northbound bore, was proposed by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson in 1989,[46] but had yet to see any progress towards construction over a decade later.[47] This option is not currently favoured by TfL due to technical problems with construction and engineering, difficulty tying in with the existing road network, and concern about increased traffic on the A12.[30]

Other schemes proposed by TfL that would allow tunnel traffic to cross the Thames elsewhere are the Silvertown Tunnel between Silvertown and the Greenwich Peninsula[48] and the Gallions Reach Ferry between Beckton and Thamesmead.[49]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 East London Advertiser, 23 May 1969, p. 5 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Commons Sitting - Committee". Hansard. 8 August 1887. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1887/aug/08/committee#S3V0318P0_18870808_HOC_414. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Survey of London: volumes 43 and 44: Poplar, Blackwall and Isle of Dogs". 1994. pp. 640–645. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46543. Retrieved 17 March 2013. 
  4. ↑ The Blackwall Tunnel. 44. Munn and Company. 1897. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Smith, Denis (2001). London and the Thames Valley. Thomas Telford. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-7277-2876-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=4TA262F55asC&pg=PA15&dq=blackwall+tunnel+joseph+bazalgette&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iQzLUaGBC8uT0AWxhoGgCQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=blackwall%20tunnel&f=false. 
  6. ↑ Jardine, F.M.; McCallum, R.I. (2013). Engineering and Health in Compressed Air Work: Proceedings of the International Conference. Taylor & Francis. p. 246. ISBN 978-1-135-82609-3. 
  7. ↑ Henry Fredrick Howson (1962). London's Underground. I. Allan. p. 25. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Section of the Blackwall tunnel.". Royal Museums of Greenwich. http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/conMediaFile.340/Section-of-theBlackwall-tunnel.html. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  9. ↑ Lynch, Gordon; Canwell, Diane; Sutherland, Jonathan (2011). Famous Ghosts and Haunted Places. The Rosen Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-4488-5985-6. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "Urban Design : Blackwall Tunnel". Transport for London. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120816130103/https://urbandesign.tfl.gov.uk/Heritage-Library/Surface/Blackwall-Tunnel.aspx. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "TfL urges drivers to 'check before they travel' through the Blackwall Tunnel". Transport for London. 4 February 2011. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/18143.html. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Light at the end of the tunnel". BBC News. 24 April 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1945581.stm. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  13. ↑ "Dartford and Purfleet Thames Tunnel Bill". 10 March 1930. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1930/mar/10/dartford-and-purfleet-thames-tunnel-bill#S5CV0236P0_19300310_HOC_403. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  14. ↑ "Blackwall Tunnel". Hansard. 15 May 1957. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1957/may/15/blackwall-tunnel#S5CV0570P0_19570515_CWA_37. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  15. ↑ Richard Marsh (29 April 1960). "Road Safety Bill". Hansard. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1960/apr/29/road-safety-bill#S5CV0622P0_19600429_HOC_103. Retrieved 28 June 2013. 
  16. ↑ Stephen Swingler (22 November 1966). "Blackwall Tunnel". Hansard. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1966/nov/22/blackwall-tunnel#S5CV0736P0_19661122_CWA_168. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 News and Views. 127 (nbr 3730). 10 August 1967. 50. 
  18. ↑ "M.1 Motorway and Dartford-Purfleet Tunnel (Tolls)". Hansard. 9 November 1960. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1960/nov/09/m1-motorway-and-dartford-purfleet-tunnel#S5CV0629P0_19601109_HOC_111. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  19. ↑ "Motorways (Eltham)". Hansard. 23 July 1969. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1969/jul/23/motorways-eltham#S5CV0787P0_19690723_HOC_601. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  20. ↑ John Peyton (20 December 1973). "Motorways". Hansard. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1973/dec/20/motorways#S5CV0866P0_19731220_CWA_288. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  21. ↑ "A102(M). Blackwall Tunnel Southern Approach road". Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation. http://www.ciht.org.uk/motorway/a102mbtapp.htm. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  22. ↑ Lynda Chalker (11 November 1985). "Blackwall Tunnel". Hansard. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1985/nov/11/blackwall-tunnel#S6CV0086P0_19851111_CWA_479. 
  23. ↑ London Gazette: no. 55566, p. 8186, 29 July 1999. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  24. ↑ Ron Bridle; Peter Baldwin; John Porter; Robert Baldwin (2004). The Motorway Achievement, Volume 1. Thomas Telford. p. 158. ISBN 978-0-7277-3196-8. 
  25. ↑ "TfL relies on MTS pVMS during Blackwall Tunnel closures". MTS. http://www.ukmts.com/case-study/tfl-relies-mts-pvms-blackwall-tunnel-closures/. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  26. ↑ "Citizen Space - Closing the Woolwich Ferry". Transport for London. https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/rivercrossings/5c42e952. Retrieved 26 November 2015. 
  27. ↑ "Blackwall Tunnel (Traffic Delays)". Hansard. 5 July 1939. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1939/jul/05/blackwall-tunnel-traffic-delays#S5CV0349P0_19390705_CWA_118. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  28. ↑ London Gazette: no. 38037, p. 3683, 1 August 1947. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 "Tidal flow system ends in tunnel". BBC News. 19 April 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6570775.stm. Retrieved 24 November 2007. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Update on East London Crossings Review". Transport for London. 8 July 2009. p. 2. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/Item06-EastLondonRiverCrossings.pdf. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  31. ↑ "Transport at a glance". Transport for London. 19 April 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930184316/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/4919.aspx. Retrieved 24 November 2007. 
  32. ↑ "The London Assembly Transport Committee's review of the decision to end the peak hours tidal flow in the Blackwall tunnel". Transport for London. July 2007. p. 13. http://legacy.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/transport/blackwall-tunnel-rpt.pdf. Retrieved 16 July 2013. 
  33. ↑ "Calls for tunnel lane to reopen". BBC News. 9 May 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6637817.stm. Retrieved 24 November 2007. 
  34. ↑ Livingstone, Ken (14 November 2007). "Greenwich Congestion Charge". The London Assembly. http://mqt.london.gov.uk/mqt/public/question.do?id=20381. Retrieved 15 July 2013. 
  35. ↑ Pippa Crerar (30 October 2012). "£2 to use Blackwall Tunnel... drivers will be charged to pay for new river crossing at Silvertown". London Evening Standard. http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/2-to-use-blackwall-tunnel-drivers-will-be-charged-to-pay-for-new-river-crossing-at-silvertown-8252941.html. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  36. ↑ "Blackwall Tunnel toll proposed to finance new crossing". BBC News. 30 October 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20140560. Retrieved 28 June 2013. 
  37. ↑ Sophie Warnes (30 October 2012). "Drivers will be charged to use Blackwall Tunnel". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/drivers-will-be-charged-to-use-blackwall-tunnel-8255153.html. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  38. ↑ "Tfl works with VOSA on enforcement at Blackwall Tunnel". HGV UK. 10 June 2013. http://www.hgvuk.com/06/10/tfl-works-with-vosa-on-enforcement-at-blackwall-tunnel/. Retrieved 28 June 2013. 
  39. ↑ Steve Turner (21 March 2002). "Safety report set to slam Blackwall Tunnel". New Civil Engineer. http://www.nce.co.uk/safety-report-set-to-slam-blackwall-tunnel/800260.article. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "Blackwall Tunnel northbound refurbishment to be completed six months early". Transport for London. 27 August 2010. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/16549.html. Retrieved 15 July 2013. 
  41. ↑ "Blackwall Tunnel disruption until December 2012". BBC News. 5 February 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8500000/8500274.stm. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 "Blackwall Tunnel upgrade set for early completion". New Civil Engineer. 4 November 2011. http://www.nce.co.uk/news/transport/blackwall-tunnel-upgrade-set-for-early-completion/8622119.article. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  43. ↑ "Weekly tunnel maintenance closure schedule". Transport for London. 6 March 2013. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/roadusers/Weekly_tunnel_maintenance_closure_schedule_6Mar13.pdf. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  44. ↑ Woollen, Peter; Kerr, Joe (2002). Autopia: Cars and Culture. Reaktion Books. p. 302. ISBN 978-1-86189-132-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=705nF7ZUklkC&pg=PT289&dq=blackwall+tunnel&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_j_VUfDFJ9Ka0AXN-oHABw&ved=0CDIQuwUwADgU. 
  45. ↑ "Boris scraps new Bridge". The Guardian. 6 November 2008. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/nov/06/travelandtransport-carbonemissions. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  46. ↑ Cecil Parkinson (14 December 1989). "Traffic (London)". Hansard. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1989/dec/14/traffic-london. 
  47. ↑ Mitchell, Bob (2003). Jubilee Line Extension: From Concept to Completion. Thomas Telford. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-7277-3028-2. 
  48. ↑ "The Silvertown Tunnel (a road tunnel between the Greenwich Peninsula and Silvertown)". Transport for London. 1 February 2013. https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/rivercrossings/cc90b4dd. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 
  49. ↑ "The Gallions Reach Ferry (a ferry between Thamesmead and Beckton)". 1 February 2013. https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/rivercrossings/4763e746. Retrieved 26 June 2013. 

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