---

Blackwall Tunnel Closures

Lord Braine of Wheatley asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will state the dates on which the Blackwall Tunnel has been closed or partly closed this year.

30 Jul 1997 : Column WA68

Baroness Hayman: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to the noble Lord.

Letter to Lord Braine of Wheatley from the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. L. Haynes, dated 30 July 1997.

The Minister for Roads has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the dates on which the Blackwall Tunnel has been closed or partly closed this year.

The layout of the tunnels means they can only be maintained safely by closing them to traffic. The northbound and southbound bores have been subject to closure or restrictions on 109 separate occasions since 1 January 1997. A table showing the dates and times of the closures is attached.

In addition to the regular planned maintenance carried out on a weekly basis at night and the three consecutive weekend maintenance closures at six-monthly intervals, the northbound tunnel is currently subject to additional daily and night-time closures to facilitate construction of the over-height vehicle escape ramp. This is scheduled to be opened in late August 1997 and will considerably reduce the delays when high vehicles are trapped at the northbound tunnel approach.

You may also be interested to note that sadly both Blackwall Tunnels were closed for a period during the morning of Saturday 26 July following a fatality in the southbound tunnel.

A motor cyclist was struck by a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction although the exact circumstance are not yet known. The motor-cyclist unfortunately died from the injuries sustained.
Blackwall Tunnels planned closures 1997 (as at 24 July 1997)Northbound Tunnel

Date	Reason for closing	Time closed
07 January	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
04 January	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
21 January	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
28 January	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
04 February	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
11 February	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
18 February	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
25 February	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
04 March	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
11 March	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
18 March	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
25 March	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
1 April	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
08 April	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
15 April	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
22 April	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
29 April	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
06 May	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
13 May	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
20 May	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
27 May	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
03 June	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
10 June	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
17 June	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
24 June	Normal weekly maintenance works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
30 June	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
01 July	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
07 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
08 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
11 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	Closed 22:00 hrs
12 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	Closed all day
13 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	Re-opens 15:00 hrs
14 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
15 July	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00
18 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	Closed 22:00 hrs
	Note: SIAC are the contractors working to construct escape ramps for over-height vehicles at the tunnel entrance.
19 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	Closed all day
20 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	Re-opens 15:00 hrs
21 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
22 July	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
24 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
25 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	Closed 22:00 hrs
26 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	Closed all day
27 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	Re-opens 15:00 hrs
28 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
29 July	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
30 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
31 July	SIAC closure for escape ramp works	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
	Note: No other notified dates from SIAC after this.
05 August	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
12 August	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
19 August	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
26 August	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
02 September	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
09 September	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
16 September	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
23 September	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
30 September	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
07 October	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
14 October	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
21 October	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
28 October	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
4 November	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
11 November	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
18 November	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
25 November	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
02 December	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs
09 December	Normal maintenance closure	20:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs

30 Jul 1997 : Column WA70

Southbound Tunnel (Maintenance Works)

Normal twice weekly lane closures throughout year--00:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs.

Tunnel remains open on one lane working:

01 January

02 January

08 January

09 January

15 January

16 January

22 January

23 January

29 January

30 January

05 February

06 February

12 February

13 February

19 February

20 February

30 Jul 1997 : Column WA71

26 February

27 February

05 March

06 March

12 March

13 March

19 March

20 March

26 March

27 March

02 April

03 April

09 April

10 April

16 April

17 April

23 April

24 April

30 April

01 May

07 May

08 May

14 May

15 May

21 May

22 May

28 May

29 May

04 June

05 June

11 June

12 June

18 June

19 June

25 June

26 June

02 July

03 July

09 July

10 July

16 July

06 August

07 August

13 August

14 August

20 August

30 Jul 1997 : Column WA72

21 August

27 August

28 August

03 September

04 September

10 September

11 September

17 September

18 September

24 September

25 September

01 October

02 October

08 October

09 October

15 October

16 October

22 October

23 October

29 October

30 October

05 November

06 November

12 November

13 November

19 November

20 November

26 November

27 November

03 December

04 December

10 December

11 December

Following are complete closures of southbound tunnel:

Date	Reason for closing	Time closed
01 March (Sat)	Twice yearly planned maintenance	Closure 21:00 to 05:00 hrs
08 March (Sat)	do.	do.
15 March (Sat)	do.	do.
26 September (Sat)	do.	do.
27 September (Sat)	do.	do.
03 October (Fri)	do.	do.
04 October (Sat)	do.	do.
10 October (Fri)	do.	do.
11 October (Sat)	do.	do.

30 Jul 1997 : Column WA73

---