1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136 
Four-lane bridge for Dartford
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Plans for a new, privately financed four-lane motorway bridge which will double the traffic capacity of the Thames crossing at Dartford, have been announced by Transport Secretary John Moore.
Work on the £86 million suspension bridge is scheduled to begin in late 1987 or 1988, subject to parliamentary approval, and the crossing is expected to be open to traffic in the early 1990s. It will carry all M25 southbound traffic across the Thames.
The 457m long bridge will be designed, constructed, financed and operated by Trafalgar House — under the name of the Dartford River Crossing Company.
It will form part of a £200 million deal in which Trafalgar House also takes over the running, interest and debts of the existing two road tunnels, currently operated by Kent and Essex local authorities.
The transfer of the road tunnels to Trafalgar House will take place after enabling legislation has been passed through parliament -sometime in late 1987" according to the proposed bridge builders.
Trafalgar House will continue to operate tolls on all the crossings at current levels until the outstanding debt on the tunnel and the costs of the new bridge and operating the whole crossing are paid off. After this time the crossing will "come to the nation" according to the Dip.
The government expects the crossing to return to public ownership between 14 and 15 years after work starts, although the concession to Trafalgar must stop after 20 years whatever happens.