Blackwall Tunnel: Two more weekend closures as work continues on Silvertown Tunnel

The major east London tunnel is to close this weekend between August 17 to 19 due preparations for the new Silvertown tunnel crossing.

TfL has also announced it will also shut across the weekend of September 7 to 9 for further work.

The closures “will allow for the final road configuration to be implemented, as well as road resurfacing and safety barrier works to be carried out.” 

TfL will also take the opportunity to carry out works within and around the Blackwall Tunnel to help deliver future maintenance work more efficiently and ensure the tunnel can continue to safely operate.

The Silvertown Tunnel is due to open in 2025, after which drivers using both tunnels will pay to cross the Thames.

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Over the two weekends the Blackwall Tunnel will be closed for southbound traffic and drivers will need to take alternative routes.

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

The weekend closures will start just after midnight on the Saturday mornings and will continue until 5am on the Monday at the latest, says TfL.

The Woolwich Ferry, Rotherhithe Tunnel and Tower Bridge are all expected to be busier.

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.

Passengers who complete their journeys using the Jubilee line will automatically be refunded.

The Victorian-era Blackwall Tunnel suffers from frequent closures - more than 700 times a year - which result in large tailbacks, poor air quality and millions of hours lost due to drivers being trapped in traffic.

Plans for the Silvertown Tunnel were first developed in 2012, to help address the chronic congestion around the Blackwall Tunnel. 

Linking Silvertown in east London to the Greenwich Peninsula, it is aimed at reducing journey times and helping manage air pollution.

From next Spring drivers will be charged to use both the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels between 6am and 10pm, seven days a week.

TfL says work on the new Silvertown Tunnel “continues to progress well”.

Both of the 1.1km tunnels have been fully tunnelled and safety critical equipment is now being installed. 

The final road surface is being installed within the tunnels and approach roads, which will allow for critical testing and assurance work to take place ahead of opening. 

Work is also nearing completion on the new road layout around Tidal Basin Roundabout in Newham.

Nick Fairholme, Director of Capital Delivery – Systems at TfL, said: “We are now in the final phase of works to complete the Silvertown Tunnel and these closures will help us to start to get the tunnel ready to open. 

“We appreciate that these planned weekend works will have an impact on some drivers and are doing everything we can to limit potential disruption - including ensuring a northbound route through the Blackwall Tunnel is maintained throughout.”