Kent County Council (and Essex) also have ‘announced’ plans to build a crossing of the Thames between Gravesend and Cliffe/Cliffe Woods. With motorway standard road connections this is likely to major disruption to our area during construction, noise and light pollution across the Shorne/Higham Marshes and probably our parish area as well.   

We will be keeping a close eye on developments

Lower Thames Crossing - Through Cliffe and Cliffe Woods

Ever since the first Dartford tunnel was built in the 1960s, there have been problems with coping with the traffic generated. An additional tunnel was added, but connecting them up to the new M25 generated even more traffic. A new private sector partner was appointed to build a new bridge, and it was paid for by taking the tolls. With the volume of traffic, this was soon paid for, but it was decided by Government to keep the tolls so that the money could be used for other transport schemes in the area and we understand it is being used to finance widening of the M25. The toll booths clearly contribute to traffic congestion and poor air quality for the area and are a major factor in concern about the Dartford crossing’s capacity to cope with existing and a probable further growth in future years.

Behind the scenes there has been a study into adding additional crossing capacity over the Thames - but consultation has only been with government, government agencies, some local government and local government agencies.

Now the report has been published - we know that two options to link the A289 Wainscott bypass at the Higham junction, through Cliffe Woods and Cliffe or Cliffe Woods to just south of High Halstow have been considered - these would be dual carriage way roads linking to massive bridges across the Thames into Essex.

Other options considered are :-

• Improving/expanding capacity at the current crossing
• A crossing over the new Eastern Quarry Development and Swanscombe peninsula
• A crossing from Higham/Shorne area (East of Gravesend)
• A crossing from Sheerness to East of Southend
• Most options include improvements to the M2/Bluebell Hill (A229) M20 junctions and widening of the road.

The Sheerness, Cliffe and High Halstow options have been rejected and the Swanscombe peninsula option is rejected unless a way of crossing the Eastern Quarry Development (next to Bluewater) can be found.

Click here for access to the full DfT report (290 pages)

Click here for access to the Medway Council Cabinet paper (summary and recommendation)