Video shows Dart Charge progress

New footage has been released that shows the removal of the payment barriers at the Dartford Crossing.

Time-lapse video shows the old northbound payment booths and barriers being removed to allow a new safety system – which will prevent oversize vehicles and dangerous loads from entering the tunnels – to be installed. While the new safety system is installed northbound traffic is being controlled using the old southbound barriers.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uScdG5vsfwc&feature=youtu.be

 

The work, which is expected to be completed in April, is an important part of speeding up journeys at the Crossing now that Dart Charge is in place and drivers no longer need to stop at barriers to pay.

Highways Agency project director Nigel Gray said: “We’re making good progress on this important work. Protecting the tunnels from dangerous loads and oversized vehicles is vital for the safe and efficient operation of the whole Dartford Crossing. This new system will enable that task to be carried out much more efficiently than before and will make a real contribution to speeding up journeys – which is what Dart Charge is all about.”

Since it launched on 30 November last year, Dart Charge has helped to speed up journeys by removing the need to stop at a barrier to pay the Dartford Crossing charge. But to get the most benefit from the changes, there needs to be a new way of identifying and managing oversized vehicles and dangerous loads before they enter the tunnel – a job until now that was carried out at the payment barriers.

Connect Plus, the Highways Agency’s main service provider for the whole M25, is carrying out construction work associated with the project.