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Lower Thames Crossing build to create 22,000 jobs
Highways England says that it expects to create tens of thousands of jobs during the construction of the Lower Thames Crossing.
More than 22,000 people are expected to work on the project, which is the UK’s largest road scheme since the construction of the M25 in the 1980s.
DOUBLING CROSS-RIVER ROAD CAPACITY
Currently the Dartford Crossing is the only road river crossing east of London, and it has become a notorious pinch point on the road network. The new crossing under the River Thames will almost double road capacity between Kent and Essex, ease congestion across the region, and divert more than 13 million vehicles away from the Dartford Crossing each year. The scheme includes the construction of the UK’s longest road tunnels, plus 14.3 miles of new road, new viaducts, seven new green bridges and 24 miles of new paths.
EMPLOYING A VARIETY OF SKILLS
In the peak year of construction alone, the project is expected to support 10,000 jobs. Over the six-year building phase it will employ more than 22,000 people, including many in highly skilled roles such as engineers, architects and designers, as well as a host of other roles, from sign makers to IT support.
SKILLS STRATEGY DESIGNED TO BENEFIT COMMUNITY
A skills, employment and education strategy is currently being developed by Highways England that will enable the delivery of the Lower Thames Crossing, as well as support the long-term skills and employment needs of the local community.
Working with Local Authorities and a wide range of stakeholders, the project team has aimed to understand their aspirations and the local skills market, so they can cultivate a workforce that can support these plans. Highways England aims to publish the strategy in the spring.
CONNECTING BUSINESSES TO CUSTOMERS
Matt Palmer, Lower Thames Crossing Executive, said: “By connecting people to jobs and businesses to customers, the Lower Thames Crossing will add billions to the local economy and play an important part in the government’s plan to level up the UK. But it also has a more urgent and crucial role to play in our economic recovery by employing more than 22,000 people over the lifetime of its construction.
“Our aim is to create local jobs, support local businesses, and nurture the next generation of talent, and in partnership with our contractors we have ambitious plans. We will create hundreds of apprentices and places for graduates and are offering free training to local businesses to help them work on this, or any other major infrastructure project. The scale of opportunity is huge, and I look forward to sharing more detail on our approach and plans over the next few months.”
LOGISTICS UK SUPPORTS SCHEME
“We are delighted to see the progress of Highways England’s ambitious Lower Thames Crossing project,” said Heidi Skinner, Logistics UK’s Policy Manager for Southern England. “The Dartford Crossing has long been a bottleneck on the Strategic Road Network, and the case for extra capacity to be added to improve the road connectivity between Kent and Essex is a strong one. Logistics UK fully supports road infrastructure improvements which will enable the efficient movement of goods at both a local and national level.”
*www.logistics.org.uk/campaigns/better-infrastructure
Published On: 04/02/2021 17:00:19
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