Darryl Chamberlain

Southbound Blackwall Tunnel to be closed this Sunday for fire safety works

Southbound Blackwall Tunnel
The north side of the river will see the brunt of the queues

The southbound Blackwall Tunnel will be closed all day on Sunday so major repairs can be carried out to fire safety equipment.

Traffic will be diverted away from the tunnel between 00.01 on Sunday and 05.00 next Monday while crews install a new heat detection system above the carriageway.

There will also be three overnight closures beginning tonight – from 01.00 to 05.00 in the early hours of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – for early works.

Northbound traffic will run as normal, but the Sunday closure is likely to lead to queues of traffic in east London as well as congestion through Deptford and Greenwich.

Transport for London is advising drivers making long-distance journeys to use the Woolwich Ferry or Dartford Crossing, and those making shorter trips to cross the river via Tube or DLR instead.

Buses on route 108 will be split on Sunday between 05.00 and 23.00 and will run from Stratford International to Canning Town, and from North Greenwich to Lewisham, TfL has confirmed to 853. Stops at miss the stops Boord Street, Blackwall Lane, Morden Wharf Road, Blackwall Tunnel/East India Dock Road and Dreadnought Street will be missed. Passengers will be able to use the Jubilee Line in between the two sections.

During the overnight closures, buses will run via Tower Bridge, missing stops at Blackwall Tunnel/East India Dock Road and Dreadnought Street.

Glynn Barton, TfL’s director of network management, said: “Safety is our top priority, and this critical closure of the southbound Blackwall Tunnel is essential to ensure the tunnel remains safe for people to use. 

“I’d like to ask people in the area who need to travel to plan ahead for their journeys and to thank them for their patience while we carry out this work.”

In April, a fire in the northbound tunnel caused delays across a wide area of southeast London.

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