This Table Is Provided in Response to a Freedom of Information Request and Content Has
The table below provides responses provided to the TfL email of Friday 24 April, titled "Are you affected by congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel?".
This table is provided in response to a Freedom of Information request and content has been edited only to remove identifying or private information.
Content (identifying or private content removed) / Post Code / Business RespondingCongestion around the tunnel is horrendous, especially when coming back across the river into Canning Town, where I live. I have friends in Kent and often use the Tunnel but there are always long queues coming back, even on a Sunday! New methods of crossing the river are desperately needed. / No Post Code Provided / Personal response
That would certainly alleviate the cross-river bottleneck in this part of London. But what about the A102 / A2? That already suffers congestion at peak hours, wouldn't this make it worse? / SE9 1PJ / Personal response
I live in Orpington and often need to take a flight from London City airport. I have to leave extra early (by mini cab) to ensure we are not caught in traffic before the Blackwall tunnel traffic jam building up from 7:00 onwards. To have just 2 road river crossings in the East of London is seriously restricting access to London for people living in the South East and working in the City or Canary Wharf. we have also stopped visiting family and friends in the weekend north of the river due to the semi permanent queues at the Dartford Crossing.
Best regards, / BR6 6HR / Personal response
Dear Mr Mills,
as resident of thr Royal Borough of Greenwich, I am a frequent if not regular user of Blackwall tunnel. I fully agree that there is a real need for more East London river crossings. When crossing the river, we have to allow for traffic hold ups as a matter of course. When there is any major problem, someone breaking down or an accident, the whole area can gridlock. This happens fqr to frequently, causing chaos and frustration, to say nothing of the added pollution.
As part of the solution, a 2nd tunnel at Blackwall would help and a bridge further East. This should be in ADDITION to thd Woolwich ferry, not instead of.
All these crossings shoulc be free of charge, unless of course, all the West London bridges become toll bridges too. Why xhould only the East London residents have to pay? I know many people who already drive out ofgheir way to avoid paying the Q.E. brige toll.
I hope you find my opinion of use
Yours / SE18 3NU / Personal response
Yes get on with it. A bridge would be better instead of the silly garden bridge. / SE9 1AT / Personal response
Dear Andrew,
Thank you for your email and for giving me an opportunity to share my view.
I feel quite strongly about this topic as for many years I have been bewildered by the relative lack of East London river crossings compared to Central and West London.
The result of relying on The Blackwall & Dartford Crossings is that whenever one is closed (which happens on a surprisingly regular basis) all major routes through south-east London in particular become unbearably busy as motorists seek alternative routes. If this happens during AM/PM rush hour the gridlock effect is magnified.
Sadly the Woolwich Ferry (which in theory links the North and South circular - two extremely busy roads) just does not cut it in this day and age. Perhaps it was a useful means of transportation in the days when car ownership was rare but in the 21st Century, to meit is an anachronism. The boats have a very limited capacity (especially so when trucks are allowed on board too) and the inevitable queues which result often lead back out on to the South Circular roundabout (which connects 3 busy dual carriageway roads) cause further chaos, queuing and occasionally crashes. It is downright dangerous.
I support building the Silvertown tunnel andmaking one of the two resultant tunnels in that area tolled.I support movingthe ferry crossing downstream towards the less built up and busy Central Thamesmead area and making it used bycars, bikes and foot passengers only. I alsosupport the proposed bridge crossing at Gallions Reach. The more crossings the better, asmore options for crossing the river will mean less chance of true gridlock.
And to thegreen campaigners who say it means more emissions for the area - do they not realise that people will be making their plannedjourneys anyway, however long it takes them.
The area has been crying out for transportation infrastructure for decades. Now is the time to alleviate the congestion.
Best regards, / SE28 0GD / Personal response
Hello Miles
Thank you for your interest, or at least I hope you are interested in what I have to say
I love the Blackwall Tunnel. I use it every Saturday morning. At least twice a week between 17-23.00 South going east. Each time it is congested, and this is every day for most of the day and that is because it is the only way out of Greenwich.
The Rotherhithe is too far from me. Dartford Crossing, although in easy reach of me in Abbeywood, itis at a cost, and takes the long way around London
I welcome the improvement to the Blackwall Tunnel but I wouldn't want to be charged to use it. I think we pay enough in Road Tax; and it would be taxing the working man out of a job. The tunnel is used by people going to work.
I think the tunnel could do with a better tannoy system. one that can be heard in the tunnel as well as outside. Possibility to transverse lanes to decrease congestion. Better system of retrieving broken down cars in the tunnel. For the moment this process is as archaic as the tunnel
If I think of anything else I shall let you know / SE2 0UP / Personal response
Hi Andrew,
Am happy to share my experiences. I regularly use the tunnel. On average, three times a week. It's usually slow and annoying. But regularly, it reaches standstill and its a nightmare. The traffic and congestion is excessive. Clearly, more crossings are needed and I honestly think the Silvertown crossing is a good option. For the good of all, better transport links are required. I think that those who are opposing the plans are short-sighted in their views.
Regards, / SE28 8DF / Personal response
Dear Andrew
I don't use the Blackwall tunnel regularly but am affected when there are problems at the tunnel, the knock on effect is large and wide spread. It causes congestion in the surrounding roads and alternative routes to cross the river. The Woolwich ferry roundabout gets congested at peak times there seems to be little control of the traffic to stop lorries blocking the roundabout. Several new crossings are needed.
Regards / SE28 0JP / Personal response
I'm affected by the Blackwall tunnel pretty much any time I use it, particularly going northbound. The only time I ever get to drive through without being stuck in traffic jams is if its very late at night. Its really frustrating that short journeys to east London to visit friends or to leave London at a weekend take so long and you have to factor in so much additional time to get though the traffic.
I have use the Woolwich ferry once as an alternative but also found that it had significant delays and took a very long time to get across.
I would very much welcome additional river crossings in the area and particularly the Silvertown Tunnel plans which would make a significant difference.
Best wishes / SE13 5LT / Personal response
Congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel impacts the entire O2 area, Blackwall lane and then to Woolwich road for Greenwich. Blackwall Tunnel congestion occurs to frequently. Now some idiot has agreed to build an IKEA at the exit just before the Blackwall Tunnel. This is madness. / SE10 0JJ / Qriosity Limited
I going to north greenwich now but can't pass this car they still not move & you can see it affect the road around the area too
/ SE18 4NB / Personal response
This is what happen now :)
Traffic again at blackwall tunnel . / SE18 4NB / Personal response
I use the Blackwall Tunnel frequently. There is often congestion and the experience is both annoying and depressing. It is depressing because it is the primary river crossing within London (certainly within East London) and it seems extraordinary given its importance as part of London's infrastructure that it is so narrow, slow and has bends. It feels claustrophobic and there is a constant risk of large vehicles moving out of lane and colliding. That there will be congestion is pretty predictable - but the time delay is not very predictable. I appreciate the history - but why have we not done something to improve it? It is hard to believe that any other major city would rely on 19th century infrastructure in circumstances such as these.
The solutions are to build a new tunnel or a bridge. I support the Silvertown tunnel - though my understanding from the plans is that it will relieve rather than replace the Blackwall Tunnel - and will involve a minor diversion. A better model would be to build a bridge or tunnel with three lane carriageway that should avoid any significant congestion because traffic could flow through it. But absent that - and it may be that that would be unaffordable - I support the Silvertown Tunnel. / N19 4QA / Personal response
Thank you, Andrew
A new tunnel will certainly ease congestion when things are going well.
When things are not going well all the tunnels there will suffer, because they share the same access roads.
The kick back onto surrounding roads will be no less than currently; and if more people are using the tunnels
then the kick back could be even worse.
I do not use the tunnel for regular commuting but I know only too well when things are awry.
It takes less than 30 minutes for local roads to gridlock, and then affect as far afield as the A2, A20, and even the M25.
By all meansadd a new tunnel but you should also be building a large bridge somewhere around the Beckton/Thamesmead
crossing area. The West of London has 4 or 5 times the river crossings as we in the East.
We need more crossings and all the crossings should be as far as possible away from each other, to avoidcross contamination. / SE18 3RR / Personal response
We frequently use the Blackwall Tunnel to drive to Chatham. We avoid peak times (which luckily we can do most of the time), but sometimes we have to use the tunnel on a weekend, and there is always a queue. If there is then an incident, a holdup soon builds up. There is no suitable alternative route as the Woolwich Ferry is often shut or running only one boat. The route through south London and Greenwich to the Rotherhithe Tunnel or Tower Bridge is hopelessly inadequate for additional traffic to be diverted from the Blackwall Tunnel. The additional pollution, wasted time and increased use of fuel are just some of the disadvantages, which a further river crossing should alleviate. / E1W 2QR / Personal response
I can’t believe it is taking so long to provide south east and east London with a faster, more reliable, less-congested river crossing. My journeys across the river have been blighted for over 20 years as the hold ups have become more numerous and longer (length and time).
These days I rarely manage to get through the Blackwall Tunnel without some kind of delay due to congestion. I would estimate 90% of my journeys are delayed. Often I can be caught up for over 30 mins, sometimes longer on desperate occasions. There is no real alternative. The Woolwich Ferry is equally slow and congested. Crossing through central London or at Dartford takes me miles out of my way. Using public transport is not always the solution.
The situation can only get worse with the increasing residential and commercial development on either side of the river on and around the Greenwich Peninsula and in Docklands. I despair! / SE18 3NT / Personal response
I travel through the tunnel on a regular basis. We are desperate not only to have another tunnel but also several bridges further down the river to ease congestion. The ferry service in Woolwich is not really a very good option. We need a bridge there and at Belvedere/Thamesmead. Surely the QE2 Bridge at Dartford has paid for itself several times by now with the tolls you charge yet we are still paying! Build more bridges please. Thank you. / SE2 0RZ / Personal response
Another Blackwall tunnel closure and more horrific traffic delays in and around Charlton.
We need another crossing now !! / Personal response
Today's misery !
/ SE9 5NW / Personal response
Hello Andrew,
Thanks for your email. I don't drive very often so am not affected by congestion as a motorist. However I live near the Blackwall Tunnel and the amount of traffic running through an area of high population density.
I am in favour of keeping the traffic moving but also removing some motorised transport from the roads and moving motorised transport away from homes and schools.
I'd like to see any new approach roads to a crossing to be concealed or tunneled. I'd also like to see any new roads or crossings have excellent pedestrian and cycling lanes. I'd also suggest average speed monitoring to keep traffic at a moderate but steady speed (no faster than 30 mph). / E14 7GJ / Personal response
Dear Andrew Miles
Thanks for contacting me concerning the proposed new road tunnel in East London.
I am affected everyday I go to work or go out for leisure and other activities by the problems of the Blackwall Tunnel.
Firstly, anytime there is a closure of the Blackwall Tunnel, the traffic congestions affects us from Greenwich up to Woolwich. All the adjacent roads become unusually busy causing traffic blockage around Woolwich because all the Blackwall Tunnel traffic are diverted to the Woolwich Ferry which in turn cause a lot of road traffic blockage around the Woolwich Ferry roundabout due to the extra Blackwall Tunnel traffic.