Quicker, safer and more reliable journeys
The Lower Thames Crossing would:
Tackle congestion by taking over 13 million vehicles away every year from Dartford and free up almost a full lane of traffic
Almost double road capacity across the Thames East of London with three new lanes in each direction
Improve journey times – 30% better at Dartford and 46% better between Tilbury and Medway
Create a more resilient road network on heavily used parts of the A2, A13 and M25, reducing traffic spilling onto local roads
Provide a vital new route for freight, connecting South-East ports with manufacturing centres and distribution hubs
Be a free-flowing alternative for large goods vehicles with no escorts or stopping of traffic needed
Driving economic growth
Congestion at Dartford costs the UK economy millions of pounds every year, and the lack of a reliable connection acts as a handbrake on growth.
A reliable new connection will add up to £40 billion to the UK economy by making journeys quicker, safer and more reliable.
The Lower Thames Crossing will:
Offer an additional 400,000 jobs within an hour’s commute of local communities
Help businesses reach new markets, customers and suppliers
Help vital goods reach every corner of the UK efficiently
Provide more opportunity for where to live, work and go to school
Give more choice on where to shop and spend free time
Road to growth
Read our brochure about tackling congestion with a reliable connection that will link the north and midlands with south-east ports and provides a £40 billion boost to the UK economy
Click to view and downloadJobs, skills and education
Building a new major piece of the road network creates a huge opportunity for the local community through new jobs, skills and education.
The Lower Thames Crossing would:
Provide work for thousands of people and businesses during construction
Recruit almost half of the project workforce locally
Provide hundreds of opportunities - apprenticeships, graduate and work placements
We’re a Pathfinder project
We're exploring low carbon construction, helping to reduce our carbon footprint and leading the construction industry’s journey to net zero
Find out more