Rant on Blackwall and rotherhite tunnels

Print_Screen

Actually you jest but:
"In 2012, TfL announced their intention to toll the tunnels to pay for the Silverton Link crossing, suggesting it was the "most appropriate way".
Responding to this, Paul Watters from the AA said "We’ve already seen the Western extension of the congestion charge dropped because it was hugely unpopular and I think tolling on the Blackwall Tunnel will be as controversial as that"

There was a plan for a 3rd tunnel as well as a link for the North to South Circular avoiding the Woolwich ferry. But these were canned once Boris took over.

I live near Beckton and you can drive over bridges that were the slip ways to bridges never built and lead nowhere. You can also see the blocked off junctions that were meant to serve these bridges for the Thames Gateway link bridge, just look near Tesco Beckton if you are in the area

There is a need for another crossing. A tunnel would be less obvious and possible disturbing to residents but the cost would be many times that of a bridge so.....

No money = no tunnel
Build bridge = residential protests
Bridge+tunnel = Limbo

neilmcl

londonTiger wrote: »

blackwall tunnel was built fairly recently

No it wasn't, far from it.

forgotmyname

How many cars on the road 100 years ago and how many in 1967?

You could probably have a picnic between counting the cars passing even in 1967.

neilmcl

forgotmyname wrote: »

You could probably have a picnic between counting the cars passing even in 1967.

Drivers used to do just that on the central reservation of the M1, completed around the same period.

Print_Screen

neilmcl wrote: »

Drivers used to do just that on the central reservation of the M1, completed around the same period.

And also no speed limit then until 1966 I think

neilmcl

Print_Screen wrote: »

And also no speed limit then until 1966 I think

Not strictly true. Although the 70mph limit came into force in 1965, there was a 30mph limit for built up areas since 1930.

molerat

I used to use Blackwall because it was quicker than Dartford, no traffic jams and no toll, also used to go Vauxhall Bridge, Hyde Park Corner, Park Lane, Marble Arch etc or A40 past the Hoover factory travelling from Kent to Aylesbury and it was a doddle. Through Blackwall and straight ahead to A12 for Norfolk or Blackwall, turn left onto East India / Commercial road and head for A1 to Lincoln. Sometimes decided to go Blackheath and Tower bridge to the A1. Rarely any problems. Trafficwas a bit different in the 70s though :eek:

londonTiger

neilmcl wrote: »

No it wasn't, far from it.

Ok, i was under the impression that it was built in 1997, the new bore was actually built 1967.

Seems like a bloody long time ago, seriously needs expansion.

Boris doesn't care about the poor people of East London, he's more concerned about pleasing the posh people in West London.

NBLondon

Well, I spent 4.5 years commuting from South London to East London via Blackwall and I think the problem is that in rush hours it's running at 99.9% of capacity. As soon as one link fails (Blackwall, Rotherhithe or Woolwich Ferry) traffic diverts to one of the others and pushes them over 100%. On a good day in school holidays, the trip was about 28 minutes; on a bad day over an hour. On the worst day nearly 2 hours. Another link from say Thamesmead to Beckton would do the job. Especially if it took the HGV traffic away from Blackwall and Woolwich.

londonTiger

NBLondon wrote: »

Well, I spent 4.5 years commuting from South London to East London via Blackwall and I think the problem is that in rush hours it's running at 99.9% of capacity. As soon as one link fails (Blackwall, Rotherhithe or Woolwich Ferry) traffic diverts to one of the others and pushes them over 100%. On a good day in school holidays, the trip was about 28 minutes; on a bad day over an hour. On the worst day nearly 2 hours. Another link from say Thamesmead to Beckton would do the job. Especially if it took the HGV traffic away from Blackwall and Woolwich.

Really? I think it's typically two hours to cross southbound. Although - I haven't honestly timed it as I work from home so don't really pay attention to times as communters would. It feels like hours - probably because you drive 3-4 car lengths a minute (if you're lucky).

I was driving southbound on the Northern approach - wasn't even intending to cross. I missed my Bow roundabout slip road, and then spent an 45 minutes queing up to take the next slip road which must've been just 100-200 metres away.