Queen Elizabeth II Bridge

The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge carries the A282 road over the River Thames between Dartford in Kent and Thurrock in Essex. It is the only fixed crossing of the Thames east of Greater London and forms part of the M25 motorway’s route. The bridge opened in 1991 as the final piece of the Dartford–Thurrock River Crossing, joining two earlier tunnels built in 1963 and 1980. It is a cable-stayed structure 137 metres high with a main span of 450 metres. The crossing handles around 160,000 vehicles each day, making it the busiest estuarial crossing in the United Kingdom. The bridge was built to relieve growing congestion in the tunnels after the M25 motorway linked both ends in the 1980s. A private finance scheme began in 1988 to construct the bridge, which added four lanes of southbound traffic to the crossing. The Highways Agency called it a vital transport link for the national and South East economies. Former Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin described it as a crucial part of the country’s strategic road network. Local Thurrock Council has called it one of Europe’s most heavily used crossings with a complex traffic management system. Visitors crossing the bridge travel on a four-lane elevated roadway 137 metres above the Thames. The approach roads on both sides carry traffic at 50 miles per hour under lane control and variable-message signs. The bridge can close in high winds or for maintenance, when all traffic diverts through the tunnels. Northbound vehicles use the two tunnels, while southbound traffic uses the bridge. The crossing and its approaches are equipped with automatic number plate recognition for the Dart Charge system. The road across the Thames is named Canterbury Way, though the crossing itself remains a key part of the M25 orbital route.