Lower Thames Crossing planning application goes in

Highways England has submitted its application for the £6bn Lower Thames Crossing to the Planning Inspectorate for approval.The Lower Thames Crossing development consent order (DCO) application was filed on 23rd October 2020. The Planning Inspectorate now has 28 days to review the application and decide whether or not to accept it. Assuming it does, the inspectorate will then invite written submissions from interested parties. Following the end of the six-month examination stage, the Planning Inspectorate will have three months to write a recommendation report and submit it to the secretary of state for transport.The Lower Thames Crossing will create a new three-lane dual carriageway, 14.3 miles long, connecting the M2 near Rochester and the M25 in Essex between North and South Ockenden. It will include a pair of 2.4-mile long bored tunnels under the River Thames, linking Kent and Essex.The scheme also includes improvements to the M25, A2 and A13, where the scheme connects to the road network.