How Much Is The Silvertown Tunnel

My friend Dave—bless his optimistic GPS—decided to cut through a side street near the Greenwich Peninsula last Tuesday. He ended up staring at a giant hole in the ground, a fleet of yellow diggers, and a sign that read “Silvertown Tunnel – Coming 2025.” He texted me, panicked: “Mate, how much is this tunnel really costing?” I could almost hear his wallet whimpering from here.

That’s the thing about big London infrastructure projects, right? They feel like someone else’s problem until you’re sitting in a traffic jam that costs you your sanity. But Dave’s question is the one I hear over pints and on Twitter threads. So let’s cut the official jargon and talk real numbers.

The short answer? The Silvertown Tunnel is currently pegged at about £2.2 billion. I know—that’s a lot of zeros. But don’t let your eyes glaze over yet. That figure includes construction, design, and those lovely “contingency funds” that always seem to balloon. Surprise, surprise.

Why so much? Well, it’s not just a hole under the Thames. This thing is a double-lane road tunnel stretching 1.4 km, plus approach roads, ventilation shafts, and a state-of-the-art control system. Think of it as a subterranean highway that also has to survive a flood—because London.

But here’s the part that makes people roll their eyes: that £2.2 billion is just the base price. The project is being delivered through a public-private partnership (PPP). That means a private consortium, Riverlinx, is building it and then running it for 30 years. So the real cost to you? It’s buried in tolls and metro ticket hikes for decades.

The Toll That Makes You Go “Oof”

Yes, you heard me: tolls. The Silvertown Tunnel isn’t free. Transport for London (TfL) hasn’t set the exact price yet, but early estimates put a car at £4 to £6 per crossing. That’s per trip, my friend. If you’re a van driver, double it. If you’re an HGV, triple it. And if you’re a cyclist? Well, you probably won’t even be allowed in.

To be fair, the toll is meant to manage traffic—stop the tunnel from becoming a giant car park. But let’s be real: that toll also covers the £2.2 billion mortgage the project took out. Every time you pay, you’re buying a tiny brick of that underwater corridor. You’re welcome, infrastructure.

And here’s the twist: the Blackwall Tunnel—the free, ancient, claustrophobic rival—will also get tolled. That’s right. To avoid drivers flooding the free option, TfL plans to slap a similar charge on the Blackwall Tunnel. So the Silvertown Tunnel isn’t just costing you money; it’s making the alternative cost money too. It’s like a nightclub that raises the cover charge at the bar across the street.

Who Pays for This Thing, Really?

You might think, “Oh, it’s the government’s money.” Nope. The government chipped in about £1 billion, but the rest is from the private consortium. And how do they get their money back? Through your tolls. So when you see “Public-Private Partnership,” read it as “You pay now, you pay later, and you pay a little extra for the privilege.”

But wait—there’s also the environmental cost. Opponents argue that building a brand-new road tunnel just encourages more cars. More cars mean more CO2, more noise, and more of that lovely London air that tastes like diesel. The project’s defenders say it’s for buses and cleaner vehicles. Sure it is. And I’m the Queen of the River Thames.

Let’s not forget the human cost. Building a tunnel under a bustling river means construction noise, road closures, and a whole lot of dust. Residents near the entrance points have been dealing with this for years. Their patience? Priceless. Their compensation? A fraction of £2.2 billion, probably.

So, Is It Worth It?

If you drive between north and east London regularly, you know the Blackwall Tunnel is a nightmare. It’s narrow, congested, and closed half the time for maintenance. The Silvertown Tunnel aims to double the crossing capacity. In theory, that’s great for buses, cyclists, and your commute. In practice, it might just create more traffic—induced demand, economists call it. Build a bigger road, fill it with more cars.

I’ll be honest: I’m not here to sell you on the tunnel. I’m here to give you the numbers so you can shout them at your mates. £2.2 billion construction cost. Tolls of £4–£6 per trip. 30 years of payments. That’s the real price tag—your time, your cash, and your aggravation.

Dave, if you’re reading this, please stop texting me. But for everyone else: the Silvertown Tunnel is costing a lot. Whether it’s too much depends on how much you hate waiting in traffic. My advice? Start biking. Or move. Or just sit back and enjoy the irony of paying to sit in a newer, shinier traffic jam. Welcome to London, baby.