§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what was the name of the company owning the vehicle which caused the closure of the Blackwall tunnel on 10 December and if he will make a statement; [9313]
(2) if he will make a statement on the circumstances and consequences of the closure of the Blackwall tunnel on 10 December; and what estimate has he made of the likely cost of the incident to businesses in London arising from traffic congestion during that day; [9315]
(3) what legal action he intends to take against the driver and owners of the vehicle which damaged the Blackwall tunnel on 10 December; [9314]
(4) what damage was caused to the Blackwall tunnel by the incident on 10 December; and what estimate he has made of the likely cost of repair work. [9312]
§ Mr. Bowis[holding answer 16 December 1996]I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mr. Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Tony Banks, dated 17 December 1996:
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent questions about the incident at the northern entrance to the Blackwall Tunnel on the 10th December.The circumstances on 10th December which resulted in the closure for some ten hours of the southbound Blackwall Tunnel are as follows. At approximately 2.30 pm the boom of a crane mounted on a lorry struck a sign gantry located 30 yards before the entrance of the southbound tunnel. No damage was caused to the tunnel itself, but the gantry was so badly damaged that it had to be removed completely. It took until just after midnight to complete this operation which necessitated the southbound tunnel being closed from 2.30 pm to 00.30 am. In addition the northbound tunnel had to be closed for about one hour while the central support was removed.The gantry carried essential lane-control signing used for operating the contraflow system during the morning peak, and without it two way traffic cannot operate safely. Manual control of the contra flow system is not a viable option for safety reasons.There was widespread traffic congestion in East London caused by the closure of the southbound tunnel. Some traffic diverted to the Dartford crossing and the Woolwich Ferry ran an extended service until 10.00 pm to assist with the diverted traffic. On subsequent 516W mornings there have also been queues approaching the northbound tunnel, as two way traffic has not been able to use the southbound tunnel.The Highways Agency recognises that this incident has caused considerable delays and inconvenience with a subsequent cost effect to businesses and has worked to bring the contraflow system back into operation at the earliest possible opportunity. We cannot make a realistic estimate of the losses.Estimates of repair costs are at this stage preliminary but demolition and the installation of a temporary and then a permanent gantry are likely to cost in excess of one hundred thousand pounds.The Highways Agency has, at present, no confirmed report of the name of the company owning the vehicle that caused the closure of the tunnel. A full report of the incident is awaited from the police. When we receive full details of the incident we intend to seek to recover the costs of a replacement gantry from the owner of the lorry involved.