Rotherhithe Tunnel

The Rotherhithe Tunnel is a road tunnel under the River Thames in East London. It links Limehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to Rotherhithe in the London Borough of Southwark. Opened in 1908 by George, Prince of Wales, it remains one of the few tunnels where road traffic, pedestrians and cyclists share the same bore. Transport for London has owned and maintained it since 2001. The tunnel was designed by Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice for the London County Council, copying closely the earlier Blackwall Tunnel but with a larger diameter. The tunnel was built between 1904 and 1908 by engineer Edward H. Tabor and contractors Price and Reeves. It used two tunnelling shields, one straight and one steerable, under compressed air with clay lining. No workers died during construction thanks to extensive safety measures. Nearly 3,000 local residents were displaced by the long approach ramps and new tenement blocks were built to rehouse them. The tunnel was once described as the largest subaqueous tunnel in existence. Visitors approaching the tunnel see brick-lined cuttings leading to pink granite portals with ornate lighting. Four ventilation shafts line the route, each with distinctive redbrick buildings and spiral staircases. The tunnel bore is lined with white glazed tiles and carries a two-lane carriageway 15 metres below the Thames high-water level. The bends and narrow lanes make it unsuitable for large vehicles, enforced by height and weight restrictions. Average speed cameras ensure a 32 km/h limit through the tunnel.