The Limehouse Link Tunnel will be closed during the day on four consecutive weekends in January and February 2008 to test state-of-the-art safety equipment newly installed as part of a refurbishment of the tunnel.

A high-tech public address system has been installed so all road users can receive clear and understandable safety messages.

To minimise disruption, testing will be carried out across both tunnels at the same time to complete the work in the shortest possible time.

The tunnel will be closed to traffic in both directions, only during the day, on the weekends of 12-13 January , 19-20 January, 26-27 January and 2-3 February.

Transport for London (TfL) is working closely with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Environmental Health Department and Highways Department, the Metropolitan Police and London Buses to mitigate traffic disruption during the closures.

This will be the only time that the public address system will need to be tested at the full volume and will be heard by local residents living near the entrances to the tunnel.

Notes for editors:

The testing will take place over four weekends in January and February, during the day.
The tunnel will be closed:
January 12 (07.00 until 17.00)
January 13 (08.00 until 17.00)
January 19 (07.00 until 17.00)
January 20 (08.00 until 17.00)
January 26 (07.00 until 17.00)
January 27 (08.00 until 17.00)
February 2  (07.00 until 17.00)
February 3  (08.00 until 17.00)
  • Testing will begin approximately one hour after closure
  • A letter has been sent to local residents living in the vicinity of the tunnel entrances informing them of the planned closures
  • The Limehouse Link Tunnel will continue to be closed overnight for routine maintenance every four weeks. The next two scheduled overnight closures will be on the nights of Wednesday 2, Thursday 3 and Friday 4 January, and Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 January. The testing of the PA system is in addition to the routine maintenance overnight closures. There will be no testing of the PA system during the overnight closures for routine maintenance
  • TfL is responsible for maintaining and managing the 580km Transport for London Road Network (TLRN), which, although comprising only 5 per cent of the Capital's roads, carries approximately 33 per cent of its traffic