TRANSPORT | ROAD TUNNELS


SILVERTOWN SERVICE


Over recent months central London’s busy road network has benefited from Silvertown Tunnel coming into service. The twin-tube link below the Thames was built and is being operated under a concession contract


The travelling public rarely knows of the engineering journeys made to create underground transport infrastructure before making their commutes or taking trips in vacations, but they appreciate they well-lit spaces, the speed, the convenience, for the reliable flow of work and life. In London there are many such offerings in transport


tunnels, mostly via ‘The Tube’ for metro travel or some parts of the rail network, but there are also some road tunnels - vital links in the busy grid for cars, taxis, vans, buses and more. To that grid was recently added a further tunnel - Silvertown - bored below the River Thames as required in a concession contract, between Riverlinx SPV and Transport for London (TfL). The twin tube tunnel came into service in April. To transit the Silvertown tunnel is a brief trip,


Top left: Silvertown road tunnel portal PHOTO CREDIT: TFL/ LUCA MARINO Top right: Artificial ground freezing (AGF) for the cross passages between the main tubes PHOTO CREDIT: RIVERLINX CJV/JOHN ZAMMIT Above: Preparing for rotation of single TBM for the second drive on the tunnelling works PHOTO CREDIT: RIVERLINX CJV


36 | December 2025


from Greenwich peninsula and under the river to the Docklands area, specifically Canning Town; or, vice versa. Barely time to appreciate the tunnel itself and perhaps mostly appreciating the ease of - so quickly - being in another part of the capital. And without discomfort, such as becoming aware of passing through a zone of twilight. For the tunnel is well ventilated and brightly lit,


which psychologically offers ease - and then the trip is over, travellers and drivers exiting on the other side of the river.


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