Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed Lower Thames Crossing on traffic levels in North Kent; and what discussions he has had with local authorities on reducing congestion.

As scheme promoter for the proposed Lower Thames Crossing, National Highways has forecast the impact on the entire road network, including in North Kent, using the Lower Thames Area Model, which is a strategic highway model built specifically to assess the impact of the Project.

National Highways’ forecasts are regularly updated and shared with the local community and stakeholders. The most recent traffic forecasts formed part of National Highways’ recent Community Impacts Consultation, which can be accessed at: https://ltcconsultation.highwaysengland.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Operations-update.pdf.

National Highways works closely, and meets regularly, with local authorities to identify further improvement schemes which could be adopted and measures which could be taken to further reduce congestion in the area.