THE Government has revealed that the new Lower Thames Crossing will run through Ockendon, Orsett and Tilbury.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling will today announce the preferred route for the crossing which has been in the pipeline for seven years.

Option three, a route running from the M25 near North Ockendon crossing the A13 at Orsett, running north of Chadwell St Mary, before reaching the Kent-bound tunnel in East Tilbury, has been selected.

A crossing under the Thames east of Tilbury and Gravesend would be built and a new link road will then take traffic to the A2 near Shorne, close to where the route becomes the M2.

It means the Government has scrapped options two and four, the former running through West Tilbury and the latter running from junction 29 on the M25, passing by Dunton, Stanford-le-Hope, and Linford before eventually reaching East Tilbury.

Thurrock's two MPs have condemned the decision, believing it to be the wrong choice.

Jackie Doyle-Price, Tory MP for Thurrock, says she has long opposed the route, and that she is disappointed her preferred option, route four, was discounted.

She said: “While congestion at the Dartford Crossing demands a new Lower Thames Crossing, I have consistently told the Government that any new crossing must not lead to more congestion on Thurrock’s roads. Neither should it lead to more congestion on the M25 and A13 or a new junction on the M25 in Thurrock. This route fails those tests.

“We have a serious challenge with air quality in the borough and clearly congestion around the vicinity of the Dartford Crossing is the primary cause. 

Thurrock Gazette:

Disappointed - Jackie Doyle-Price, Tory MP for Thurrock

Stephen Metcalfe, Tory MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, said: “I feel we made a good argument against Option C and was convinced we had built a strong case in favour of sorting out the existing crossing before proceeding. Despite this I am pleased that the Secretary of State has said he looked closely at our arguments. But I regret he did not fully accept our points and has pushed ahead with what I believe to be a flawed decision.”

Thurrock Ukip has vowed to fight the proposals, labelling it as "devastating for Thurrock."

Today's announcement is incredibly disappointing that the Conservative Government will be pressing ahead with Option C, Variant 3 which will devastate the local community in Thurrock. 

Tim Aker, MEP for East of England and borough councillor said: "Highways England received their largest number of responses in any consultation in objection to another Thames Crossing.  Their persistence shows that this was a sham consultation, a PR exercise by a Government with its fingers in its ears.  

"Thurrock suffers from high pollution levels, congestion and infrastructure under strain as it is.  

"Adding more traffic to this will destroy the standard of living we have here in Thurrock.  This new crossing will cost billions and will only take 14% of traffic from the Dartford Crossing.  

!As our population increases and new pull factors on the borough emerge, this will do nothing.  Nothing about the Government's ridiculous plans make sense.  They just want to dump on Thurrock - again.

"We will fight this all the way and residents should know they can pick up objection letters from my office in Grays."

Thurrock Gazette:

Fighting - Tim Aker

Mr Grayling believes the scheme will alleviate traffic at the busy Dartford Crossing, and could create more than 6,000 jobs and boost the economy by more than £8billion.

A further £10million will be used to improve traffic flow at and around the existing crossing as well as studying ways to further tackle congestion. This will include a wide-ranging investigation into options to cut “rat running” through Dartford and Thurrock.

Mr Grayling said: “We are making the big decisions for Britain. The new Lower Thames Crossing, and other improvements in and around Dartford and Thurrock announced today, will further strengthen our economy while also creating thousands of jobs.

“The schemes announced today not only show we are taking decisions, we are planning upgrades and we are completing roads – making the lives of millions of motorists better.”

In addition to the Lower Thames Crossing, the Government is investing a further £66million to widen the A13 Stanford-le-Hope bypass from two to three lanes, in the hope of creating more than 4,000 jobs and unlocking development of hundreds of new houses, and improve links to Tilbury and new London Gateway ports.

This investment is part of a £78.85million Thurrock Council project scheduled to be complete by the end of 2019.

Christian Brodie, chairman of South East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “This is excellent news for Kent and Essex and will have a significant economic impact.

“The investments announced will strengthen the resilience of our UK and European connections – imperative as we now move towards Brexit.

“However, the benefits go far beyond Kent and Essex. With the current Dartford Crossing already operating at capacity and freight traffic continuing to grow, the new crossing will also support the Government’s wider economic aspirations for the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine.”