New road tunnel under the Thames 'already out of date'

A multibillion-pound road tunnel under the Thames will be out of date the moment it opens, according to campaigners.

- Matthew Taylor

The first cars and lorries are due through the Silvertown tunnel in east London today, passing between Greenwich on the south side of the river and Newham in the north.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, and officials at Transport for London (TfL) claim the new crossing will deliver a much-needed cross-river transport boost for the capital, reducing congestion and air pollution.

But the scheme has faced widespread opposition from local people, politicians, climate scientists and medical experts, who say it will increase traffic and air pollution, and worsen public health in some of the most deprived boroughs in the country. They also say it threatens to lock in high-carbon transport for generations to come.