The opening of the Silvertown Tunnel in London has contributed to a massive fall in traffic just over a year after it was opened, new data shows.
Average journey times for vehicles approaching the Blackwall Tunnel northbound are 58 per cent quicker in the morning and 47 per cent faster in the evening.
The 1.4-km Silvertown Tunnel, which links Silvertown and the Greenwich Peninsula in east London, was opened in April 2025 at a cost of around £2.2billion.
In just over a year, it has contributed to a four-fold rise in cross-river bus journeys, in addition to a huge fall in nitrogen dioxide concentrations.
The area has seen NO2 concentrations fall by an average of 17 per cent compared to the year before the Silvertown Tunnel opened.
It has also contributed to a 23 per cent drop in the number of over-height vehicle incidents at the Blackwall Tunnel.
Traffic volumes on the A2, A12 and A13 remain stable, with additional benefits for businesses and freight operations.
Commenting on the new data, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the Silvertown Tunnel was “proving a success”, noting that it was encouraging more sustainable transport.
The introduction of the Silvertown Tunnel has contributed to a cut in congestion and improved air quality
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TRANSPORT FOR LONDON
He added: “I’m particularly pleased to see major reductions in congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel benefitting businesses and local residents.
“The Silvertown Tunnel is already transforming travel across the Thames as we continue building a greener, fairer, better London for everyone.”
When travelling through the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels, motorists are expected to pay a daily charge to use the routes.
Cars, small vans, motorcycles, mopeds and motor tricycles are charged £1.50 off-peak with Auto Pay, or as much as £4 when travelling during peak times, namely between 6am and 10pm northbound and 4pm and 7pm southbound, from Monday to Friday.
Drivers could see the Silvertown Tunnel and Blackwall Tunnel increase its fees inline with inflation yearly | TRANSPORT FOR LONDON
Motorists who pay by phone or online without Auto Pay are charged £4 for cars and small vans, £6.50 for large vans and £10 for HGVs, regardless of when they use the tunnels.
Tunnel charges are set to increase by the rate of inflation from September 21, with cars and small vans paying £1.55 during off-peak hours with Auto Pay, or £4.20 during peak hours.
Transport for London stated that the charges were first introduced to minimise environmental impacts and ensure the tunnels achieved their objectives.
Alex Williams, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at TfL, said: “It’s excellent to see that the Silvertown Tunnel is successfully achieving what it set out to do – improving the resilience of the road network and reducing congestion, with air quality improving.
The new Silvertown Tunnel opened on April 7, 2025 | TFL
“With more reliable journeys, improved access to public transport and reduced emissions, the tunnel is delivering real benefits for people and businesses on both sides of the river.”
Around 30,000 journeys are made each day with zero emission double-decker buses on the SL4, 129 and 108 routes.
All journeys on bus routes through the tunnels were free until May 26, 2026, as more than 10 million journeys were made during the first year.
Cross-river trips using the Docklands Light Railway have also benefitted from free journeys, with more than 260,000 over the year.
