Transport for London (TfL) has published new data showing that the new Silvertown Tunnel has eased congestion, boosted public transport use and improved overall journeys during the first eleven weeks of operation.
The 1.4km tunnel, which was opened on 07 April of this year (2025) and connects Silvertown with the Greenwich Peninsula, was constructed in order to support economic and population growth across both east and south-east London by providing enhanced cross-river transport links, as well as transform the area to a road user charging zone, easing overall congestion.
The report shows that since the opening of the tunnel, congestion has been greatly reduced around the Blackwall Tunnel approaches. In particular, significant improvements have been found on the northbound A102 approach, a previous congestion hotspot, which now experiences average speeds of 30 mph during weekday morning peak hours – up from 9mph.
Increased journey speeds have, in turn, reduced overall journey times by 70% during morning peak hours when compared with times before the Silvertown Tunnel was opened.
Currently, 91,000 vehicles utilise the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels combined in both directions on any typical weekday, with 22,000 of these vehicles using the Silvertown Tunnel.
Before the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel, Blackwall Tunnel saw daily traffic of around 96,000 vehicles per day, with the new tunnel’s opening resulting in a 6% reduction in the number of vehicles despite a 50% increase in the road capacity for cars and vans.
TfL has stated it will continue to monitor the scheme’s impact on congestion, resilience and air quality in line with obligations made under the Development Consent Order for the scheme’s construction.
Elsewhere, unplanned closures at the Blackwall Tunnel have reduced by 39%, with closures now creating ‘minimal impact’ to traffic flow with the alternative of the Silvertown Tunnel providing alternative travel options.
Use of bus services through both tunnels has also increased, with 9% of cross-river trips through the tunnels now made via public transport.
More than 20,000 trips are now being made across the new SL4 route, extended 129 and existing 108 service, an increase of 160% when compared to data before the launch of the scheme. Of the 20,000 trips, it is estimated that 7,000 of the journeys are crossing the river using one of the two tunnels.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:The new data TfL has published today clearly demonstrates the impact the new Silvertown Tunnel is having. It’s a big win for London. Since it opened in April, we have seen congestion significantly reduced at the Blackwall Tunnel, ensuring more Londoners get to their destination on time. The discounts and concessions we have put in place have also helped to encourage public transport uptake, boosting the numbers of journeys being made on the three cross-river zero-emission bus routes by 160 per cent.
This is encouraging early data, and we will continue to monitor the impacts of the scheme as we continue to build a better, greener and fairer London for everyone.
Londoners using the 108 bus between Stratford International and Lewisham via the Blackwall Tunnel now experience roughly 23% less excess waiting time when compared to times found before the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel, whilst peak northbound journey times through the 108 tunnel seeing reductions of 4.5 minutes overall.
The newly introduced free cycle shuttle service between North Greenwich and the Royal Docks is seeing around 125-130 cyclists daily, with usage expected to grow as users plan and adapt routes to benefit from the free travel option.
Total traffic volumes, including those on key corridors such as the A2, A12 and A13 have remained stable, with TfL working closely to manage additional customers utilising the Woolwich Ferry.
Alex Williams, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at TfL, said:It’s great to see that our initial analysis is showing that the new Silvertown Tunnel, supported by user charges, is already reducing congestion around the Blackwall Tunnel, improving journey times, and supporting thousands of Londoners to cross the river using public transport such as the free bus services that the tunnel facilitates.
We are fully committed to monitoring the impact of the tunnels, including how it impacts other river crossings and traffic along major and local roads in London, and will work hard to ensure that the benefits of the scheme are embedded to secure long-term improvements for Londoners.
