PRESS RELEASE

Approving mega-road is economic madness

Transport Action Network’s (TAN’s) reaction to the Government’s approval of the Lower Thames Crossing today ahead of the austerity Spring Statement tomorrow [1].

Chris Todd Director of TAN, said:

“This is absolute madness. It’s a desperate decision to distract from the likely bad news in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement tomorrow. When the Government can’t afford to properly fund the NHS and our roads are falling apart [2], it’s cutting back on benefits and putting vulnerable people at risk. It really has got its priorities in a muddle.

“At a likely cost of £16bn this road is simply unaffordable [3]. The only way that the Government can afford this white elephant would be to take money from all the other nations and regions in the UK. Rather than boosting growth, this will clog up roads in the south east and slow the economy down even more.”

– ENDS –

Notes for Editors

[1] Government Press Release, Tuesday, 25 March: Lower Thames Crossing development consent announced

[2] The backlog in local roads maintenance (not including the Strategic Roads Network) is £16.81bn as found in the 2025 Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey, carried out by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA). On top of this there is a backlog of around £7bn in local bridge maintenance which is not being addressed here.

The National Audit Office’s report: The condition and maintenance of local roads in England, 23 July 2024, highlights that the DfT’s 2020 estimate of the benefit-to-cost ratio of local road maintenance was 7:1 (significantly higher than new road schemes)

[3] How the Lower Thames Crossing will take all your funding – TAN briefing