Alternative routes & what's coming next
The Dartford Crossing is the only road crossing of the Thames east of Greenwich, but you can avoid it by going west via Blackwall or Silvertown, or by waiting (very patiently) for the Lower Thames Crossing to open in the early 2030s.
Route comparison
Costs and times for a southbound car crossing the Thames somewhere east of central London.
| Route | Cost (car) | Detour vs Dartford | Height limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartford Crossing | £3.50 / £2.80 pre-pay | Baseline | 4.88m (tunnel) | Tunnel northbound, bridge southbound. The reference route. |
| Blackwall Tunnel | £1.50-£4.00 | +30-60 min (peak) | 4.0m | Now tolled since April 2025. Peak/off-peak pricing. |
| Silvertown Tunnel | £1.50-£4.00 | +20-40 min | No restriction | Opened April 2025. Modern, designed to relieve Blackwall. |
| Rotherhithe Tunnel | Free | +40-75 min | 3.5m | Severe height limit. Single lane each way. Not for vans or above. |
| Woolwich Ferry | Free | +45-90 min | No limit | Free but slow. Limited operating hours. Wait can be long. |
| Western M25 (via Staines) | Free | +30-120 min | No restriction | Avoid eastern crossings entirely. Only sensible if you're going west anyway. |
Is avoiding the Dartford Crossing actually cheaper?
Mostly, no. The £3.50 charge is small relative to the fuel and time cost of any meaningful detour.
- Blackwall and Silvertown are both now tolled, so they're not free alternatives. They're just different tolls.
- Rotherhithe is free but its 3.5m height limit and single-lane carriageway mean it's only useful for cars and bikes.
- Woolwich Ferry is genuinely free but adds 45-90 minutes and is unsuitable for time-sensitive trips.
- The long way round via Staines typically adds 40+ miles and £6-10 of fuel for a car. The toll saving doesn't come close.
The cheapest realistic strategy if you cross often is a pre-pay account at £2.80, or the £25/year resident pass if you qualify.
The Lower Thames Crossing
The next major crossing. Construction started in March 2026. It will relieve Dartford for the first time in decades, but it isn't a short-term answer.
Status
Under construction
Construction started
March 2026
Route
Shorne (Kent) to South Ockendon (Essex)
Type
Twin bored tunnels, ~4.25km
Connects
A2/M2 ↔ A13/M25 J29
Capacity
Roughly equivalent to 4 lanes of M25
Distance from Dartford
~14 miles east
Expected opening
Early 2030s
The Lower Thames Crossing was approved by the Department for Transport in March 2025 after years of delay. Early works began in March 2026, with the major tunnel-boring phase planned for 2028 and a target opening in the early 2030s. National Highways estimates it will reduce Dartford Crossing traffic by 20-25% once open. Tolling has not been confirmed in detail, but the project is expected to be tolled to recover construction cost.
For drivers planning the next 5-7 years, the Lower Thames Crossing is too far away to factor in. The cheapest fix today remains a Dart Charge pre-pay account or the resident pass.
Other UK toll routes
For comparison or planning a longer trip, see our companion guide to M6 Toll prices, the only other major motorway toll in the UK road network.