New Thames crossing "likely" to be tolled

The Transport Secretary is quoted as saying that it is "likely" motorists will have to pay to use the £4.4bn Lower Thames Crossing.

The Gravesend Reporter says Chris Grayling said the "Option C" route announced last week is "likely [to] be a toll tunnel, but it’s going to be something for the next government to decide.”

It adds that Mr Grayling dismissed claims by opponents that the consultation was biased , saying, “I really wanted to be confident in my own mind that the crossing we put forward was better, rather than putting in place a bridge or tunnel at Dartford.

“I’ve challenged Highways England, I’ve been and looked at the route for the crossing to the east, I’ve been very careful to make sure this is the right decision and I believe that it is.”

The paper also spoke to Highways England CEO Jim O'Sullivan about threats to take up a judicial review against the consultation, saying he did not expect any legal action, “One of the reasons it took so long for a decision is because we took the consultation seriously, we had discussions with the secretary of state about changing one of the routes slightly east to avoid homes, which we thought served the local communities better, so we think we’ve done a very thorough job.”