paving highway 6

The opening of the Silvertown Tunnel in April 2025 saw the commissioning of London’s first tunnel crossing of the River Thames, since the completion of the second Blackwall Tunnel in 1967. Since that time traffic density had significantly increased along with a changing demographic, which had seen population growth in riverside boroughs north of the river rising by as much as 22% and on the Greenwich Peninsular buy 14% in the ten year period form 2011 to 2021.A further factor was the vehicle size restrictions to the Rotherhithe and Blackwall Tunnels, causing heavy goods vehicle to face a 26km drive East of Blackwall for the nearest downstream passing point at the Dartford Crossing. The new Silvertown Tunnel was therefore designed to implement efficiencies in movement and to reduce congestion to and from the Greenwich Peninsular.

Grasscrete GC2, 150mm thick paving was selected for the task of providing access tracks and laybys at key strategic points including to the rear of the tunnel ramp walls. With complex traffic management in place each installation had to be carefully choreographed over a two month period, to meet key dates and timings. Without the infrastructure requirements of kerb edges or underlying drainage as a prelude to construction, each Grasscrete installation could be quickly installed within the available programme window.

Now complete, Grasscrete is fulfilling its function of providing essential access, with a low visual and environmental impact.