The Gallions Reach Crossing was a proposed
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...
crossing close to
Gallions Reach in East
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, running between
Beckton
Beckton is a suburb in east London, England, located east of Charing Cross and part of the London Borough of Newham. Adjacent to the River Thames, the area consisted of unpopulated marshland known as the East Ham Levels in the parishes of Bark ...
in the
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham () is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by ...
and
Thamesmead
Thamesmead () is an area of south-east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross, north-east of Woolwich and west of Erith. It mainly c ...
in the
Royal Borough of Greenwich. Originally a proposed
ferry
A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
crossing replacing the
Woolwich Ferry, later plans suggested either a bridge or a tunnel.
Plans for both the Gallions Reach Crossing and the
Belvedere Crossing downriver were dropped after
Sadiq Khan
Sir Sadiq Aman Khan (, ; born 8 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting (UK Parliament constituency), Tooting ...
was elected mayor of London in 2016.
History
The crossing was announced as a ferry route by the Mayor of London,
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...
, in 2012 following the cancellation of the
Thames Gateway Bridge, with a proposed operation date of 2017. Subsequent reports suggesting a bridge or a tunnel have put the opening date around 2025.
[
The ferry crossing would have replaced the Woolwich Ferry, with similar operational periods, given that the Woolwich ferry's infrastructure was reaching the end of its serviceable life. Capacity would have been doubled to 300 vehicles per hour in each direction. The promoters claimed that it would alleviate traffic congestion in the Woolwich area, which suffers from a mix of local and cross-ferry traffic.
]
Alternatives
In addition to the proposed ferry, TfL suggested in 2013 a bridge or a tunnel as an alternative option. This would be a two lane crossing catering for local traffic, and would not be expected to open until after 2021. This would require an additional £30m of capital to service the Woolwich Ferry in the interim period.
In 2015, TfL announced that the bridge or tunnel plans were more likely to go ahead, and invited the public for their views. The crossing would be tolled, and contain two lanes of traffic each way, one dedicated to buses. TfL also suggested the Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is an automated medium-capacity rail system, light metro system primarily serving the redeveloped London Docklands, Docklands area of London and providing a direct connection between London's two major financi ...
could be extended to Thamesmead or Abbey Wood
Abbey Wood is an List of areas of London, area in southeast London, England, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and bordering the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross. According to the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 ...
as part of the works.ridge
A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...
safeguarding" as it "conflicts with the vision for new homes, jobs and high-quality town centres". The DLR extension would instead provide a cross-river link in the area.
Advocacy
Both Jim Fitzpatrick, MP for Poplar and Limehouse
Poplar and Limehouse is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency which was first created in 2010. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Ki ...
, and Stephen Timms
Sir Stephen Creswell Timms (born 29 July 1955) is a British Labour Party politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for East Ham, formerly Newham North East, since 1994. He has served as Minister of State for Social Security and Disabi ...
, MP for East Ham
East Ham is a district of the London Borough of Newham, England, 8 miles (12.8 km) east of Charing Cross. Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic county of Essex, East Ham is identified in the London Plan as a ...
, have expressed support for a bridge in this location, rather than a ferry.
See also
* List of crossings of the River Thames
* Silvertown Tunnel
* Belvedere Crossing
* Thames Gateway Bridge
References
River Thames ferries
Proposed rail infrastructure in London
Bridges across the River Thames
Bridges in London
Proposed bridges in the United Kingdom
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