DESPITE not yet having acquired government consent to press ahead with its scheme for a new Lower Thames crossing and a motorway through the rural heart of Thurrock, Highways England is pressing ahead and calling for companies to bid for the tens of millions of pounds of work on offer.

The agency is inviting tenders on two roads contracts worth a combined £1.9 billion to build routes north and south of the Thames.

£600 million will be spent in Kent and the remaining £1.3 billion is is also a two-stage design and build contract delivering the route from 1km north of the northern tunnel entrance to Junction 29 of the M25. New link roads are required to connect the route with the M25, A13 and A1089.

The contract north of the river is for:

• 16km of new road
• More than 30 proposed new and/or upgraded structures, embankments, cuttings and retaining walls, under bridges to take the route through the A13 and to join the M25
• Viaducts at Tilbury over Cole's Reservoirs and at Mardyke across flood plain
• Connecting the new road to the M25 at Junction 29
• The diversion of utilities including gas mains and electric cables and towers
• Ecological works for species protection and habitat enhancement along the route
• Archaeology carefully and sensitively excavated and recorded

Lower Thames Crossing Executive Director Matt Palmer said: "Our roads connect us – we rely on them, and they are a critical part of our economic recovery and low-carbon future.

"The Lower Thames Crossing is the most ambitious road project this country has seen since the M25 was completed 35 years ago. These contracts show our commitment to this project, which will support 22,000 jobs during its construction and provide a huge economic boost to the UK economy when it opens for traffic.

"Our challenge is to build the new crossing in a way that not only supports the next generation of low carbon vehicles, but minimises our footprint, and allows us to enhance the natural environment and leave a positive legacy for our neighbours and users."

The Tunnels and Approaches contract, worth around £2 billion, includes design and construction of the twin road tunnels under the Thames and the agency is currently evaluating submissions.

At 16m diameter, the project will feature two the largest bored tunnels in the world. They will also be the longest road tunnels in the UK. The scope also includes the portal buildings, approach roads and the tunnel systems.

A £162.5 million 'Integration partner' contract was awarded to Jacobs earlier in the year.

Highways England plans to resubmit its application for a Development Consent Order later this year. An application was originally submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in October 2020 but was withdrawn when the agency realised it was likely to be thrown out by the Planning Inspectorate for its poor quality!

Highways England has been roundly criticised locally for its lack of engagement, ignoring local views and pressing ahead with a scheme that many fear will not solve the problems of congestion at the Dartford Crossing - which is its primary aim!

The agency's plans for the environment were met with scepticism when they were presented to Thurrock Council's Lower Thames Crossing task force in February and later that month the council published its own document, detailing 57 schemes it wants to see implemented to negate the effect of the crossing in Thurrock.