What can the Silvertown tunnel tells us about the future of Hammersmith Bridge?
The newest Thames crossing might offer a glimpse as to how a restored Hammersmith Bridge could be built and operated - story 58
Silvertown tunnel is open. It is a short stretch of road - less than a mile - as the map shows:
The opening sparked reports across the internet:
TfL has this social media report and media briefing
This photo essay from the Londonist made the experience real
There were a number of more reflective articles, too:
BBC provides a good background explanation
Dave Hill placed the project within a broader context
The Guardian posed a number of questions
But what lessons might Silvertown offer for Hammersmith Bridge?
Maybe. No. Yes
Planning for new Thames crossings in East London dates back to the 1990s. The Silvertown Tunnel formally emerged in 2012, proposed by then-Mayor Boris Johnson as a solution to the strain on the Blackwall Tunnel. Consultations followed in 2014, development consent came in 2018, and construction began in 2021.
Hammersmith Bridge is a much simpler and much smaller project. It has been in limbo for six years. Were it to be approved by the UK Government (UKG) whether in the Spending Review or soon after, that would be a relatively quick response. But even with approvals, restoring the Bridge will take years. And all the time, the climate crisis is worsening and the pressure to act increasing.
Privately funded
The Silvertown Tunnel in London was funded through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between Transport for London (TfL) and the Riverlinx consortium, which includes companies such as Cintra, BAM, Macquarie Capital, and SK ecoplant.
Under this arrangement, Riverlinx was responsible for designing, building, financing, and maintaining the tunnel. The majority of the construction costs were covered by private financing secured by Riverlinx.
Now the tunnel is operational, TfL collects user charges from both the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels. These toll revenues are used to pay Riverlinx over a 25-year period, compensating them for their investment and covering maintenance and operational costs. This funding model aims to ensure that the project is financially sustainable without relying solely on public funds.
Hammersmith and Fulham council, the Bridge owners, say they cannot fund even a part share of any build costs without charging tolls. The UKG has made clear their financial constraints.
Might the next iteration of Hammersmith Bridge be privatedly funded?
Road pricing
The toll charges for the two tunnels, which apply between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM daily, are structured as follows:
Cars: £4 during peak hours, £1.50 off-peak
Vans: £6.50 during peak hours
Lorries: £10 during peak hours
This is the first time tolls will be charged to the Blackwall tunnel since it was completed in 1897.
The precedent has now been set. If tolls are acceptable in the East, there is no reason they should not be applied in the West.
Tolls to limit induced demand
Tolls aren’t solely a revenue stream. They are a policy instrument aimed at managing traffic levels—mitigating what transport planners call "induced demand." More roads begets more traffic. By adjusting prices based on vehicle type and time of day, TfL seeks to limit congestion caused by new infrastructure.
Could tolls similarly shape traffic in West London?
And if so, should they apply solely to Hammersmith Bridge, or across other crossings like Putney, Chiswick and Kew? As in the East, pricing might need to be coordinated across some or all four for this to work.
Acceptable level of congestion
Mayor Sadiq Khan endorsed the Silvertown Tunnel in part because it promised relief for the Blackwall bottleneck. The logic may extend to Hammersmith Bridge: if a restored bridge alleviates gridlock elsewhere, the investment might be justified.
Still, London’s broader mobility goals remain elusive. The Mayor’s Transport Strategy lags behind schedule. Car usage is high, and road kilometres traveled remain stubbornly elevated. Even a tolled bridge might only temporarily ease local congestion before induced demand restores the status quo.
Bigger problems remain
Dave Hill put this well,
.. there is a much bigger London road transport picture to consider, one far more important than a single, subterranean river crossing, however potently symbolic in some eyes: a picture in which bus speeds are falling, cycling remains the lifestyle choice of a small minority, the efficacy of LTNs is contested and London keeps being measured as the most congested city in Europe. And no one seems willing or able to put things right.
Oh, and checks notes, we are in the middle of a climate emergency.