Boris Johnson is keen on the idea of a new river crossing at the Thames Gateway, but was never keen on the scheme he dumped last week. TfL didn't fight his decision (ignore reports to the contrary) and the Greens are very happy about it. But what of the mayor's interest in "looking again" at the Silvertown Link idea? The Political Animal, a Labour Party member who lives nearby and used to work at the GLA, is not impressed:
Oh dear. The Silvertown crossing is an old chestnut, which has been doing the rounds as a Blackwall Tunnel capacity relief scheme for many years.
He continues...
So far as I can see, the resurrection by Johnson of the Silvertown link as some sort of substitute for a independent river crossing in outer east London, suggests nothing so much as dredging around for something face-saving to cover the embarrassment of rejecting outright any kind of Thamesmead-Beckton crossing. The Silvertown link is in the wrong place, has no strategic transport purpose, is environmentally questionable and fits the wrong timescale. If this ever gets to public inquiry, the Animal hereby promises to submit evidence against the scheme.
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