TfL Ref: 0360-1819

Thank you for your email received by us on 14 May 2018 asking for information about the Gallions Reach Crossing proposal.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked for the following:

In light of the recent approval for the Silvertown Tunnel, could you clarify what the status is on the proposed Gallions Reach Crossing, i.e. is it cancelled, or are you assessing other options?

I can advise that since coming to office in 2016, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has revised and updated the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. This was recently published, and is available to read online at https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/transport/our-vision-transport/mayors-transport-strategy-2018

This strategy sets out the Mayor’s vision for London, and in particular commits to increasing the proportion of trips made by foot, cycle and public transport, to reduce the need to travel by car. As well as the Silvertown tunnel to address the problems at the Blackwall crossing and the replacement of the Woolwich ferries to help ensure that this crossing operates more reliably in the future, the Mayor has asked Transport for London (TfL) to prioritise new crossings for pedestrians/cyclists in inner London between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf and for public transport users in outer London, including looking at a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) extension to Thamesmead.

A new road crossing may still be pursued at Gallions Reach in due course but it is also worth noting that Highways England is now progressing plans for a new road crossing to provide an alternative route for some of the traffic currently using the Dartford Crossing. This would link Kent with Essex; more details can be found here: http://roads.highways.gov.uk/lower-thames-crossing-home/

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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Yours sincerely

Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
Information Governance
Transport For London