Thames Gateway Bridge

The Thames Gateway Bridge was a projected road bridge over the River Thames in London. You should be opened in 2013 and connect Beckton on the north side of Thamesmead in the district of the Royal Borough of Greenwich London Borough of Newham on the south side.

Technical details

The bridge with a length of 650 meters should span the river at a height of 50 meters. This would have been necessary to allow the passage of ships and not to simultaneously block the entry lane of the nearby London City Airport. Intended were four lanes for individual and two lanes for public transport as well as a bike path and a pedestrian walkway. Also it should be possible to run a tram line or a branch of the Docklands Light Railway over the bridge.

The construction costs were estimated at 435 million pounds. The application for planning permission was submitted in 2004, a decision should fall in spring 2007. However, the Ministry of Transport refused to consent, as many objections could not be treated.

Stop planning

On 6 November 2008, the Lord Mayor of London stopped the plans. The reasons for the abandonment of the project were the local opposition against the project, uncertainty whether the project can be financed at all, from the route planning resulting disadvantages for the traffic and the concern whether this project would withstand an environmental impact assessment.

It was further confirmed by independent sources that no other route surveys be carried out.