Rare access inside London's controversial Silvertown Tunnel - will the project help clean the air?
The controversial Silvertown Tunnel beneath the Thames is set to open in just over a year, according to Transport for London.
ITV News was given rare access to the £2.2bn project to see engineers preparing to lay the road surface in the twin-bore east London river crossing.
London mayor Sadiq Khan argues the scheme will relieve pressure on the existing Blackwall Tunnel, leading to fewer queues and cleaner air.
But critics claim it will mean more not less pollution in parts of Newham and Greenwich. Both boroughs opposed the scheme.
"We continue to ask the mayor to re-examine the project with a view to alternative uses that do not involve HGV and cars," said Simon Pirani from campaign group Stop Silvertown Tunnel Coalition.
"Newham Council has asked for that. Greenwich Council has asked for that. The Greens in the London Assembly have asked for that, but the mayor has not accepted that suggestion.
"I think it's a huge waste of resources and a wasted opportunity. It's good for the haulage industry. It's good if you're going in a taxi to City Airport.
"We continue to ask the mayor to re-examine the project with a view to alternative uses that do not involve HGV and cars," said Simon Pirani from campaign group Stop Silvertown Tunnel Coalition.
"Newham Council has asked for that. Greenwich Council has asked for that. The Greens in the London Assembly have asked for that, but the mayor has not accepted that suggestion.
"I think it's a huge waste of resources and a wasted opportunity. It's good for the haulage industry. It's good if you're going in a taxi to City Airport. "But for the majority of London households under £50,000 a year who don't have a car, it's useless. It doesn't improve the public transport situation.
"It doesn't change the fact that from Tower Bridge eastwards, there's nowhere safe, reliable, 24/7 to cross the river on a bike and there's nowhere to cross the river on a cargo bike. "We should be developing public transport. That's what we need to do also because of climate change.
"Instead of that, we have more roads. And as former transport researchers have been telling us for all these years is more roads produce more traffic and this one will be no exception," he added.
The Silvertown Tunnel will be financed by tolls which will also apply to the Blackwall Tunnel when the new crossing opens in Summer 2025.
The mayor recently suggested the fee for a car could be £5.25, but the sum has not been confirmed.
London's mayor Sadiq Khan said: "If you stand on Tower Bridge and look west, there are more than 18 river crossings. If you look east there's only one. The only real crossing in that part of London is a Blackwall Tunnel, a Victorian tunnel, "On average, it closes 700 times a year. A five minute closure leads to a three mile tailback. Bad for air quality, bad for congestion, bad for business, but also part for public transport.
"Nobody wants to use that one single decker bus that goes to the Blackwall Tunnel.
"With the Silvertown Tunnel it will have two lanes reserved for double decker buses, zero emission double decker busses, which means people can use public transport. "We also know that will improve air quality and also alleviate congestion.
Construction work on the Silvertown Tunnel began in 2020 but much of the progress was hidden from view after TfL refused, until now to allow site visits by the media.
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