The incredible £1bn bridge that could have ended travel chaos in huge UK city

The Belvedere Crossing would person outgo up to £1billion to physique (Image: Transport for London)

A present scrapped improvement successful South East London could person “reduced travel times” for Londoners and commuters. 

The £1billion Belvedere Crossing program was a River Thames crossing acceptable to tally betwixt Rainham successful Havering and Belvedere successful Bexley. 

Transport for London (TfL) has antecedently claimed the caller bridge would person slashed journeys and chopped traffic. 

However, the proposals for the caller span were ditched by London Mayor Sadiq Khan erstwhile helium came to bureau successful 2016. 

If the program had gone ahead, the caller span was estimated to person been completed and opened successful 2025.

However, TfL claimed the crossing whitethorn person chopped travel times and congestion (Image: Getty)

TfL’s erstwhile report into the strategy claimed the conception would person “helped negociate the interaction of colonisation growth” by reducing cross-river travel times and distances.

Journeys betwixt Thamesmead to Barking were expected to beryllium astir 40 minutes shorter by car nether the scheme, ending postulation chaos successful the UK capital, 1 of the astir congested cities successful the world.

Meanwhile, Rainham to Erith would instrumentality astir 20 minutes little according to estimations mapped retired by TfL.

The caller roadworthy would person improved the “walking, cycling and nationalist transport networks crossed the river” and helped “stimulate improvement successful the surrounding areas”.

TfL added: “Some drivers would alteration their way to instrumentality vantage of the caller crossings, expanding postulation connected immoderate roads portion reducing it connected others. 

“Some roadworthy users would beryllium capable to marque shorter journeys reducing postulation successful immoderate areas, but it whitethorn besides mean that immoderate caller journeys are made to instrumentality vantage of the caller opportunities the crossings provide.”

Analysis suggested that postulation could person been reduced connected definite routes specified arsenic astatine different stream crossings successful the capital. 

Roads approaching definite crossings, specified arsenic the A2, would person besides benefited from the construction. 

However, they warned it was apt postulation would person been higher successful immoderate areas specified arsenic A406 and the A13.

The span would person been partially funded by charging roadworthy users to question with a akin complaint projected for the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels. 

This volition motorboat successful Spring 2025 with a £4 interest astatine highest times oregon £8 per time for those readying connected making 2 trips.

A consultation connected the proposals held backmost successful 2016 showed that a whopping 88 percent of respondents supported a caller crossing astatine Gallions Reach oregon Belvedere.