Blackwall Tunnel weekend closure cancelled after TfL works completed

Transport for London (TfL) has announced that a planned closure of the Blackwall Tunnel southbound has been cancelled this weekend after work was completed early.

The tunnel will, however, be shut to southbound traffic across the weekends of February 10-12 and 24-26 to help support works to the northbound carriageway.

TfL says the works, which are required to implement the road configuration for the new Silvertown Tunnel which will open in 2025, will see new drainage as well as new overheight vehicle gantries installed, which are necessary to protect the tunnel.

Once the Silvertown Tunnel is completed, mayor Sadiq Khan and TfL intend to introduce a toll for motorists using either tunnel.

Helen Wright, head of the Silvertown Tunnel programme at TfL, said: “Following the successful delivery of works to the Blackwall Tunnel approach over the last two weekends to prepare it for the new Silvertown Tunnel, we are pleased to confirm that we now do not require the planned southbound closure of the Blackwall Tunnel on the weekend of January 27-29.

“We will still require the two further weekend closures to the southbound Blackwall Tunnel in February, and will also shortly confirm details of a further planned closure in March.”

Northbound traffic will not be affected by the closures as traffic will be diverted through the southbound Blackwall Tunnel.

There will be no access to Tunnel Avenue from the A102 at Pear Island across the weekend due to the works. 

The northbound on-slip on Blackwall Lane will be closed and a signed diversion via the Woolwich Flyover roundabout will be in place.

During the weekend of February 24-26, northbound traffic will be diverted from the A102 via Millennium Way to the Blackwall tunnel entrance from 10pm until 8am to allow for additional works to install new gantries across all lanes of the A102. 

The route 108, the only bus route that operates through the Blackwall Tunnel, will be split in two, operating between both Lewisham and North Greenwich and between Canning Town and Stratford. 

Customers are advised to change onto the Jubilee line to cross the river to complete their journeys

A further weekend closure of the southbound Blackwall Tunnel will be required in March, and TfL says it will confirm the dates for this in due course.