The Gallions Reach Crossing is a proposed River Thames crossing close to Gallions Reach in East London, running between Beckton 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 the s ...

and Thamesmead in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Originally a proposed

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

crossing replacing the Woolwich Ferry, later plans suggested either a bridge or a tunnel. It is being developed in conjunction with the Belvedere Crossing, just downriver.

History

The crossing was announced as a ferry route by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, 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 (currently 6:10am to 8:00pm weekdays), given that the current ferry's infrastructure is 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 could be extended to Thamesmead or Abbey Wood as part of the works.

Advocacy

Gallions Reach (eastern end), Thames Estuary - geograph

Both Jim Fitzpatrick, MP for

Poplar and Limehouse Poplar and Limehouse is a constituency created in 2010 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Apsana Begum of the Labour Party. From its creation until 2019, it was represented by Jim Fitzpatrick, also of ...

, and

Stephen Timms Sir Stephen Creswell Timms (born 29 July 1955) is a British politician who served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2006 to 2007. A member of the Labour Party, he has been Member of Parliament (MP) for East Ham, formerly Newham North Eas ...

, 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. East Ham is identified in the London Plan as a Major Centre. The population is 76,186. It was originally part of the Becontree Hun ...

, have expressed support for a bridge in this location, rather than a ferry.

References

River Thames ferries Proposed rail infrastructure in London Bridges across the River Thames Bridges in London Proposed bridges in the United Kingdom {{London-transport-stub

History

Alternatives

Advocacy

See also

References