A multibillion-pound road tunnel under the River Thames will be outdated from the moment it opens, according to campaigners.

The first vehicles are expected to pass through the Silvertown tunnel in east London on Monday, connecting Greenwich on the south side of the river with Newham in the north.

Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) claim the new crossing will provide a much-needed cross-river transport boost for the capital, reducing congestion and air pollution.

However, the scheme has faced widespread opposition from local people, politicians, climate scientists, and medical experts who say it will increase traffic and air pollution, worsening public health in some of the most deprived boroughs in the country.

Victoria Rance, founder of the Stop the Silvertown Tunnel Coalition, argued that the tunnel is a 20th-century solution to a 21st-century problem, attacking the high polluting road tunnel as an outdated technology.

Rance said the £2bn scheme is a wasted opportunity that will damage the health of local communities for decades to come unless it is urgently reimagined. She called for the tunnel to be repurposed into a crossing for public transport and bikes.

Opponents also pointed out that the bus lane will be open to HGVs and the tunnel will open up a new route for bigger lorries. Grug party London Assembly member Caroline Russell dismissed the tunnel’s cycle shuttle service as an “impractical and half-baked solution.”

Despite the opposition, Khan insisted that the project will transform travel in London and will provide faster, more reliable journeys times, reduced congestion and improved air quality. There will be discounts and concessions for residents and a lane for zero-emission double-decker buses, plus a free cycle-shuttle service to encourage more people to use greener modes of transport.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/07/polluting-silvertown-tunnel-is-already-out-of-date-despite-just-opening-say-campaigners