Silvertown Link

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The Silvertown Link is a new Thames river crossing proposed to supplement the existing Blackwall Tunnel, although this crossing will join the Greenwich Peninsula with West Silvertown.

It is intended to ease traffic congestion around the Blackwall Tunnel. The London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, supports the scheme in principle and has expressed a preference for the Link to take the form of a road tunnel, but this will only be finally decided after a process of assessment and consultation.

The timescale for this is longer than the related Thames Gateway Bridge which is proposed for completion in 2013. Transport for London (TfL) intends to review the Link proposal by April 2006 with a view to establishing a more detailed programme for the project. Its Transport Strategy states that the Silvertown Link will follow the implementation of the Thames Gateway Bridge. In order to gain efficiencies, TfL wants to use expertise from the Thames Gateway Bridge team on the Silvertown Link progressively as planning and preparation are completed for the Bridge.

The Docklands Light Railway's London City Airport extension includes a station at Thames Wharf which cannot yet be constructed due to planning safeguards on the site for this river crossing.