This week in the House of Commons, Gravesham MP Adam Holloway held a debate on the Dartford crossing. Adam believes that no new crossing should be built until more capacity is released at Dartford and is advocating a new tunnel from the A2 to the A13.
I don’t believe that this option will do anything to alleviate the problems here in Thurrock. The issue for us is that there is far too much traffic joining and leaving the M25 at Junctions 2 and 30. These volumes of traffic are the cause of congestion on our local road network and in the event of an incident the result is gridlock. Building a tunnel solely for M25 traffic travelling beyond junctions 2 and 30 will have a limited effect.
And the traffic at these two busy junctions is not just that from the M25 and the crossing. It is traffic going to Bluewater and Lakeside. It is vehicles leaving the A13 and the A2 to go to any number of destinations. IT includes our port traffic who need to be able to safely effectively access the M25 to go north.
Whilst I am all in favour of looking at what will make the Dartford crossing work more effectively, this tunnel does not offer a solution.
We need an alternative route that can be accessed when the crossing fails. At present traffic can only be diverted to Blackwall causing significant problems on the A13 at times of disruption. Simply expanding capacity at the current location leaves our local road network open to far too much risk of disruption.
Furthermore, this option would necessitate a new junction 29a which would add to the already significant burdens on the road network in South Ockendon. Residents need a new crossing which will alleviate traffic conditions there, not make them worse. I am opposed to any route which would require the creation of this new junction.
There are three variants of option C under consideration. Two of them would require the new junction 29a. Only one would not. That is route 4 which links directly to the A127. I have been very clear about the representations I have made to Ministers in support of this route. It is a route which was developed in response to my challenge, which I gave to Ministers on the floor of the House of Commons, that any new crossing should alleviate congestion at the existing crossing; that it should not add to congestion on the A13 and the M25 and, most importantly, that it should not add further burden to Thurrock’s existing road network. Route 4 is the only option that in anyway meets these criteria and on that basis it has my support.
It is now for Ministers to decide. We have had a consultation process and await the outcome. I have done my best to make the case for the option that I think offers the best solution for my constituents in Thurrock, but ultimately Ministers will have to reflect on all the representations before making a judgment. We wait and see.