Woolwich Foot Tunnel

Woolwich Foot Tunnel
Kent
The Tunnel entrance in Woolwich, Kent
Location
Carrying:	Pedestrians
Beneath:	River Thames
Location
Grid reference:	TQ432795
Location:	51°29’48"N, -0°3’44"E
Structure
Length:	550 yards
History
	Opened 1912
Information

The Woolwich Foot Tunnel crosses beneath the River Thames in Kent between Woolwich on the south side of the river to North Woolwich to the north. The tunnel offers pedestrians and cyclists an alternative way to cross the river when the Woolwich Free Ferry service is not operating. The tunnel is 1,635 feet long with a diameter of 12 ft 8 inches.

The two entrances are marked by pepperpot structures or 'rotundas', within which a long, spiral staircase descends to the tunnel, and a lift. Both of these entrances are Grade-II listed buildings.

A 2016 survey showed that around 1,000 people use the tunnel each day.

Entrances

North entrance

South entrance

• The north entrance: 51°29’56"N, -0°3’42"E, by the river ferry in North Woolwich
• The south entrance: 51°29’40"N, -0°3’46"E

The south entrance rotunda is in Old Woolwich, somewhat hidden behind the Waterfront Leisure Centre. It is the oldest remaining building in the riverside area of Old Woolwich.

Construction

The tunnel was designed by Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice and built by Walter Scott & Middleton for London County Council and opened by Lord Cheylesmore, Chairman of the LCC, on Saturday, 26 October 1912. Its creation owed much to the efforts of working-class politician Will Crooks who had worked in the docks and, after chairing the LCC's Bridges Committee responsible for the tunnel, would later serve as Member of Parliament for Woolwich.

Refurbishment

Inside Woolwich Foot Tunnel before the 2011 refit

Greenwich Council started work to upgrade both this tunnel and the Greenwich Foot Tunnel on 19 April 2010. The works were to reduce leakage, improve drainage and to install new lifts, CCTV, communication facilities and signage, with an original completion date of March 2011. During the works, the tunnel closed on Monday to Friday daytimes, when the Woolwich Free Ferry was available as an alternative crossing.

On 24 September 2010, Greenwich Council closed the Woolwich foot tunnel to all users, due to structural weaknesses discovered in the stairways and tunnel itself. The tunnel was originally expected to reopen in August 2011, but eventually reopened to the public in December 2011, though initially access to the tunnel was only by stairs until final works on the lifts were completed.

The tunnel has been fitted with a leaky feeder system to permit operation of mobile phones. The tunnel is 550 yards long.

The ‘Friends of Greenwich and Woolwich Foot Tunnels’ was established in September 2013.

In 2016 the Ethos Active Mobility system was installed in the tunnel to monitor and actively manage tunnel usage. The system uses computer vision to count and measure the speed of bicycles and pedestrians, and displays messages on electronic signs to encourage considerate behaviour. The system has also been installed in the Greenwich foot tunnel and aims to make urban shared spaces safer and more pleasant to use for all. The system displays two messages - "No cycling allowed" (in red text) during busy periods, and "Please consider pedestrians" (in green text) during quiet periods.

See also

• Crossings of the River Thames

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Woolwich Foot Tunnel)

• Greenwich Council foot tunnels page
• PortCities Info
• Friends of Greenwich & Woolwich Foot Tunnels
• Press report of 1912

References

Bridges and crossings on the River Thames
Jubilee Line tunnels	Emirates Air Line	Woolwich Ferry	Woolwich Foot Tunnel	Woolwich Rail Tunnel	Dartford Tunnel	Queen Elizabeth II Bridge