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A Growing Need |
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The first tunnel was built at a cost of £13 million and opened to traffic in November 1963. Early estimates of 2 million vehicles a year more than doubled in the first year of operation. Very quickly it was realised that a second tunnel was needed. The second tunnel took eight years to build and opened to traffic in May 1980, having cost £45 million. |
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When the M25 was completed in 1986 the tunnels provided a vital link in the national road network and very soon the daily average volume of traffic regularly exceeded the maximum designed capacity of 65,000 vehicles and forecasts predicted annual throughput in excess of 40 million vehicles. Clearly something had to be done to increase the capacity and meet the traffic demands well into the next century. |
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© Le Crossing Company 2003
Operating the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing on behalf of the Highways Agency. Email admin@lecrossing.co.uk |
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