London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – London’s 116-year-old Rotherhithe Tunnel repair has been extended until at least April 2026 due to funding shortfalls, amid an increase in TfL’s budget allocation.
Due to a lack of funds, the proposal to close and rebuild the road tunnel under the River Thames has been delayed.
Transport for London (TfL) has insisted on the need for long-term funding to start refurbishing, despite receiving £485m in the latest Budget announced by Labour’s Chancellor Rachel, approximately twice the £250m announced by Jeremy Hunt.
As any funding won’t be available until the 2026/27 financial year, the tunnel’s closure for restoration is not expected before April 2026.
BBC reported that Tfl anticipates multi-year funding will be released in the Rachel Reeves comprehensive spending review, scheduled for June 2025.
According to City Hall Conservatives, the worsening condition of the Rotherhithe Tunnel is only increasing repair expenses.
The road tunnel linking Rotherhithe in south London to Limehouse in the east is struggling with significant issues affecting its mechanical, electrical, and communication infrastructure.
The estimated rebuild cost for the tunnel in 2020 from £116m to £178m is expected to have risen significantly because of inflation following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, TfL indicated that repairs could start as early as 2025, once the new Silvertown Tunnel opens in the spring.
But now the transport body states the tunnel’s nine-month closure will not start before April 2026.
TfL stressed that ongoing work on river crossings was “absolutely essential in the short-term to keep the network operating, while also planning the work required in the future to ensure they remain open in the long term.”
Keith Prince, transport spokesman for the City Hall Conservatives, criticized the mayor and stated Londoners are in the dark about what requests have been made to the government regarding the necessary repairs.
A spokeswoman from the Department for Transport (DfT) stated, “TfL is responsible for the maintenance of the Rotherhithe Tunnel, as transport in London is devolved.”
The road tunnel allows only vehicles under two metres in height, and width, with a weight limit of two tonnes, and with fines of up to £160 for violations, alongside a 20mph speed limit also applies.
The Rotherhithe Tunnel was opened in 1908 and designed by Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice. This is one of the few British road bores that allows vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists in the same tunnel.
The project was the largest of its kind globally when it was constructed, involving 800 workers and the use of the two largest tunnelling shields.
The construction of the tunnel approximately cost £2 million and it was officially inaugurated by Prince George.
From December 2021 to November 2022, Transport for London (TfL) issued an alarming 89,654 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to vehicles breaching safety rules in the tunnel.
Last December, a three-car accident inside the tunnel left one man in severe condition.