The Lower Thames Crossing is expected to be one of the most ambitious, and expensive, projects British infrastructure has ever seen.
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00:00We will work with the private sector to deliver the infrastructure that our country desperately needs.
00:07This includes the Lower Thames Crossing, which will improve connectivity at Dover, Felixstowe and Harwich.
00:15This is the moment years of indecision over the building of a new tunnel between Kent and Essex were seemingly brought to an end.
00:21Alongside a number of other infrastructure announcements, including backing a new runway at Heathrow Airport,
00:27the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, says the government is backing the proposed Lower Thames Crossing
00:31and is looking for private investors to foot the bill.
00:34It's great news for Dartford and now that we've got Treasury approval and hopefully private sector funding
00:40following shortly afterwards that we can see work start later in 2025
00:46with a view to the Lower Thames Crossing being available to be opened early in the next decade.
00:53It's a clear victory for those who hope a new crossing on the Thames would lessen congestion elsewhere in Kent.
00:58It will also add much needed resilience into the transport network as well.
01:02We know that when things go wrong at Dartford, as they regularly do, there's very few alternatives, particularly for freight traffic.
01:09What it means is that lorries have to divert around the M25 via Heathrow, adding up to two hours to journey times.
01:16Sitting at around £9 billion, the Lower Thames Crossing could be one of the most expensive infrastructure projects on Britain's roads ever.
01:24But this isn't the first time private funding has been put forward as a solution.
01:28We already know that the private investors that are sniffing around on this already are looking at the model that's taking place
01:36through tolls and revenue from the Dartford Crossing.
01:39So we're actually confident that investors will be there.
01:42And as long as the government gets a green light and push through the planning,
01:45this is really, really good news for Kent.
01:47However, environment campaigners have long argued building of a new tunnel would be a danger to wildlife.
01:52The Kent Wildlife Trust argues the crossing would not only destroy habitats, but add to Britain's carbon footprint when it's built.
01:59Instead of safeguarding biodiversity, the Lower Thames project will destroy irreplaceable habitats,
02:05increase carbon emissions and continue to long-term environmental degradation.
02:10And this is not the future that we should be building.
02:142025 is the 16th year which has seen discussion over how a new crossing could be built on the Thames.
02:20But with the Chancellor's backing today, perhaps it's also the year where the wheels are finally put in motion.
02:26Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.