By rosebell
The scheduled date for inaugurating the new Silvertown Tunnel is 7 April 2025, as Transport for London (TfL) and Riverlinx have announced.
While the commencing date of this new tunnel was 2021, it is being constructed to link Silvertown in east London to the Greenwich Peninsula.
The responsibility of designing, building, operating as well as maintaining the new tunnel is up to Riverlinx consortium.
New bus routes will serve the tunnel, including the Superloop 4 (SL4) between Canary Wharf and Grove Park and they are due to be free for at least the first year. As an advantage for more Londoners, the new buses will increase the number of buses crossing the river from six to 21 per hour.
Due to proximity of the construction process on the Silvertown project to completion, work is shifting to installing infrastructure for new zero-emission bus routes, including a cycle-shuttle service under the Thames.
While advancing the operational testing in preparation for the tunnel’s opening, the new cross-river bus routes will serve Greenwich, Newham, and Tower Hamlets.
TfL will soon begin installing new shelters and cycle racks for the zero-emission cycle-shuttle service. Designed specifically for cyclists, the service will run every 12 minutes, seven days a week.
According to Transport for London chief capital officer Stuart Harvey: “The new tunnel, along with the initial user charges, discounts and exemptions, will support growth in the local area and provide new public transport connections across the river.”
Linking Newham and the Greenwich Peninsula, this new tunnel is offering faster and more reliable journeys with up to 20 minutes saved during peak times.
Supporting economic growth and increasing the number of buses crossing the river, the tunnel is located within the Ultra Low Emission Zone.
On 07 April 2025, in order to managing traffic and ensuring financial sustainability a user charge will be introduced on helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
Riverlinx CEO John Hagan said: “We are pleased to announce the opening date for the project.This represents the culmination of effort for the thousands of people that have worked on the project over the past five years.”
