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Lower Thames Crossing: Road Traffic Control

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 17 July 2026UIN 18942

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contingency plans will be in place to manage traffic in the event of closure of the Lower Thames Crossing following its opening.

Answered by Simon Lightwood

The Lower Thames Crossing will be operated as an integrated part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Incident response plans will be developed with local authorities and emergency services during construction and published before opening. These will cover tunnel systems, roadside technology and traffic management across the wider network, consistent with National Highways’ coordinated SRN approach, including the 2021 CLEAR Keep Traffic Moving incident management plan agreed with emergency services. They will work with key responders to minimise incident impacts through an integrated and coordinated approach across the SRN, which will also apply to the Lower Thames Crossing.

Drivers would be informed of closures through signs and signals across the wider network and through channels such as sat nav, in-car systems, social media, press and radio, supporting informed journey decisions.

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