21/11/12

Crossing the Thames; top priority for South East businesses

Council and business leaders from across Essex, Kent and East Sussex have unanimously urged the government to accelerate the introduction of free flow tolling at the Dartford River Crossing. 

Chairman of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, John Spence, conveyed their views to Transport Minister Stephen Hammond yesterday (Tuesday).  

Mr Spence said:

“Business and councils alike have identified the Dartford crossing as the greatest single barrier to growth and enterprise. At the very least we need to be assured that free flow tolling would happen as planned in 2014, but we believe the programme can and should be accelerated significantly. It is also vital that we have significant and swift investment to improve Junction 30/31 of the M25 and A13 in Thurrock to further help ease the congestion in the area.”  

The business and council leaders have also warned that future capacity creation on a route adjacent to the current Dartford to Thurrock crossing will not work, and they have initiated work to review all other options ahead of a public consultation planned for 2013.  

Mr Spence said:

“It is all very well to increase the capacity but the M25 and its approach roads simply will not cope with massive increased volumes. Local businesses wanting to operate on both sides of the river would rather have the choice of where to cross if that is economically feasible.  So we need to step back, understand what we want more crossing capacity for, and then develop a solution that will last for the long term.” 

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