Thames crossing eight years away, says BRF

Two years after the East London River Crossing (ELRIC) was abandoned following concerted opposition from environmentalists the Government is no nearer to providing an alternative crossing, said road lobbyists this week.

The criticism follows the Government's publication this week of a consultation document on possible Thames crossings east of Tower Bridge. The document calls for alternatives to both the proposed Blackwall crossing and the old ELRIC crossing - renamed Gallions Reach - and proposals for 'one or more local crossings between Beckton and Dartford'.

'It's a case of back to the drawing board on all major crossings,' said British Roads Federation campaigns director Andrew Pharoah. 'All the Government has managed to produce is yet another consultation document. At this rate we are at least eight years away from the construction of any crossing.'

The consultation document makes clear that the Government expects a major input of private finance on any scheme proposed. It says there is no 'bottomless public purse. Nothing in this document implies the availability of public money.'

The document also raises the possibility of using DBFO contracts and tolling as a method of building and financing the crossings.

But contractors are angry at further Government demands for privately financed schemes. 'We don't have a bottomless purse either,' said one leading contractor. 'Contractors are already stretching their borrowing capacity on the current round of DBFO's crossings. It's about time the Government recognised the urgent need for a crossing to regenerate East London and got on with funding it.'