Keeping Dartford Moving

[@clivechadburn6342]

I was a haulage driver in the mid 90s & used the tunnel a lot !! What a horrendous place that whole area was then !! Thank god !! I don't have to go anywhere near that Hell on earth place Anymore !! A total nightmare !!!!

[@DrAhmedEissaPage]

And when the new tunnel will open?

[@brexitdave8995]

I regularly have to travel from Benfleet all the way down to Dartford then back up the A2 for work and to visit family/friends. A new tunnel at Tilbury to Shorne would cut my journey in half and save time money and fuel. This would also free up the Dartford crossing and reduce congestion - Also (if you buy into the climate BS) many cars would create far less pollution and reduce their carbon footprint. Let's hope it gets built as the Tories cancelled the East London river crossing 30 years ago, which would of helped so many people get over the river with ease: nothing seems to get built in this country as there is too much talk and not enough action, then a new Govt cancels all the schemes and we have to start all over again, that's why we are in this mess.

[@janicemcclean]

Please please please just get on and build another crossing. The congestion around Dartford, Bexley and right up to Greenwich is horrendous.

[@thamescrossingactiongroup5525]

The Dartford Crossing has a design capacity of 135,000 vehicles per day, yet regularly sees 180,000 per day. That means we'd need to see a reduction of more than 25%. The proposed LTC would take as little as 4% away, and would not solve the problems, the Dartford Crossing would still remain over capacity, and we'd still have all the incidents. National Highways are not considering or planning how traffic would migrate between the two crossings when there are incidents, if the LTC goes ahead, and there would not be adequate connections. If there's an incident at the Dartford Tunnels, traffic comes off the M25 onto the A2 coastbound to get to the LTC, only to find there is just one single lane from the A2 onto the LTC. If there's an incident at the QE2 bridge, traffic comes off the M25 onto the A13 eastbound, only to find there is no access to the LTC from the A13 eastbound. It has to go all they way down to the Stanford A1014 junction, up around an already busy traffic lighted roundabout, back westbound on the A13 to the LTC slip road, which would be just past, but not accessible from the Orsett A128 junction. If instead traffic comes off the M25 onto the LTC, the M25 would be 5 lanes at this point, going onto just 2 lanes southbound on the LTC until past the A13. Wouldn't take long before traffic is backing up to and cutting through from the A127 and A12 by any means it can. It would be more chaos, congestion and pollution. The proposed £8.2bn LTC would be hugely destructive and harmful, and is not fit for purpose. #NoLTC

[@githuikareth]

Nice... Express highway.

[@colinmelhuish1254]

Why is the UK always reactive and not proactive. Should have had more crossings years ago.The LTC has spent fortunes and time on Brochures , consultations etc. One crossing East of London is absurd. Ignored the problem for so long it's now a huge problem. How many years is it going to take to build the LTC. It seems it will have 3 lanes in each direction when most motorways are 4 . Future proof eh. Prob too old to drive when this tunnel is completed let alone started.

[@propergander1162]

Maybe it's time to free up those temporary tolls and get the traffic moving in a continuous well managed flow . A second connection would also help and could be achieved using the long defunct ringways on which revenue was spent .... Finally to speak of a lower Thames crossing , well make the tunnels tidal flow instead of contraflow to suit traffic volumes

[@davecooper3238]

What temporary tolls ? The toll booth’s went years ago.

[@paulkazjack]

Well not in my back yard you aint!

[@willdatsun]

why the hell do people need to move around so darned much, work locally shop locally , grow locally , repair stuff. de-nationalise .

[@paulkazjack]

Ltc gonna charge to use their tunnel?? Eh?? Eh?? Eh?

[@davecooper3238]

Perhaps no charge. That could help move traffic away from the Dart Crossing.

[@44stephenvaughan]

Make lane 1 for lorries only and the other lanes no switching lanes for 1 mile before crossing, do this and I bet accidents would be reduced.

[@davecooper3238]

Am I correct in thinking you don’t use the Dart Crossing very often ?

[@ivorriddell6071]

So why is it being sold as a no brainer, only option? We are facing a climate crisis and all the best brains in the world can come up with is lets expand the capacity to pump more and more polutants into the atmosphere. We need a national transport strategy that delivers a reduction in road hauled freight and excessive car use, not another 8 lanes of traffic. If you build more capacity it will simply increase the amount of traffic exponentially. It will never meet capacity over a longer period. Expensive, glossy films won't address the real problem we all face and that is the need for constant growth in a limited area, just because that's the easiest and cheapest option. Don't worry anout the debt you might leave your grandchildren, they won't have a habitable country to live in so will all be dead or economic migrants.

[@duncan8238]

What a nonsensical position to take, at a time when we are moving to electric vehicles, all talk of pollution is practically irrelevant - but it's not really about pollution is it?