The Dartford Crossing is about to turn into a driver’s nightmare with a series of overnight tunnel closures. Starting tonight, the east tunnel will be shut from 10 pm to 5 am, forcing traffic to squeeze through the west tunnel. But wait, there’s more! If your vehicle is over 4.8m, forget about it – you’ll be taking the scenic route around the M25 clockwise.
National Highways is rolling out the big guns with upgrades to CCTV, lighting, waterproofing, and even replacing tunnel bearings. And let’s not forget the concrete walkways – they’re getting a facelift too!
This vital crossing, the only road link across the River Thames east of London, connects Essex and Kent via the iconic QEII Bridge for southbound traffic and two 1.4km-long tunnels for northbound journeys. But brace yourselves, from September 9th to 13th, the west tunnel will be closed every night.
On the 13th, the closure extends from 11 PM to 6 AM, while other nights it’s from 10 PM to 5:30 AM.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, on September 14th, the QEII Bridge will be off-limits from 10 PM to 5 AM. Southbound traffic will be diverted through the east tunnel, except for those towering vehicles over 4.8m – they’ll be taking the long way round via the M25.
National Highways assures us this is all for essential maintenance on the bridge pylons, cable stays, and dampers. So, buckle up and plan your journeys carefully!