Transport for London (TfL) has announced the three companies who have been shortlisted to design, finance, build and maintain the Silvertown Tunnel under the Thames in east London.
The scheme will be privately financed through a Design, Finance, Build, and Maintain (DBFM) contract with the successful delivery partner receiving payments from TfL once the tunnel is open and available for use.
The bidders shortlisted to design and build the proposed twin-bore road tunnel are Cintra Global Ltd; Hochtief PPP Solutions GmbH; and Skanska Strabag.
Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at TfL, said: ‘It’s great to see such a strong shortlist of bidders to design, finance, build, and maintain the new Silvertown Tunnel.’
TfL said when the tunnel opens in 2023 it would help to ease the serious traffic congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel and improve the reliability and resilience of the road network in east London.
It said the tunnel would also have a strong public transport focus, helping to facilitate an additional 37 buses an hour across the Thames each day, with all buses tunnel being hybrid, electric or at least Euro VI.
As part of the tender, all contractors will be required to deliver a range of measures to reduce construction impacts, which includes:
- Reducing road use by construction vehicles, with at least 55% of all materials for the project carried via the river
- All vehicles working on the construction of the tunnel will be required to be Euro VI and compliant with the mayor’s new Direct Vision Standard
- Developing an extensive community engagement plan
- Creating around 150 local apprenticeships, job starts and educational opportunities.
A six-month planning review into the plans for the tunnel is currently underway and a decision is expected by the transport secretary in the autumn. Confirmation of the successful bidder will be made following this decision and construction of the tunnel would begin in 2019.
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