A public consultation was today launched by Transport for London into proposed River Thames crossings to Silvertown and Beckton.
A new ferry service at Gallions Reach, and tunnel to the Greenwich Peninsula, could be ready by 2017 and 2021 if funding is secured and planning permission granted.
The proposed tunnel would transport up to 6,000 extra vehicles every hour, with the intention of easing pressure on the busy Blackwall Tunnel approaches.
The ferry crossing, to Thamesmead, could carry up to 600 vehicles every hour, replacing the existing Woolwich Ferry service.
The plans, coming four years after London Mayor Boris Johnson scrapped proposals for a Thames Gateway bridge, have already come under fire from green campaigners.
TfL director of planning Michelle Dix said: “Tfl continually looks at the changing needs of London and how its future development can be supported by the right transport infrastructure.
“A new road tunnel and a new vehicle ferry crossing would meet this growing demand whilst strengthening this area’s economic growth.”
The consultation runs until March 5. Visit www.tfl.gov.uk/rivercrossings
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