TfL leak reveals plans for the world’s longest and tallest bridge across the Thames

Transport for London (TfL) wants its proposed Canary Wharf Thames crossing to be the tallest and longest vertical lifting bridge in the world.

TfL's planned bridge is a 90m tall and 180m-wide vertical lift bridge that will connect Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf across the River Thames. 

The bridge will be fitted with concrete towers that will be 90m tall and 15m wide, while its deck will lift to a height of 60m, surpassing the length of New York's Arthur Kill Bridge, New Civil Engineer reported.

TfL put its plans for the Rotherhithe Crossing out for consultation in November 2017, in which over 90 per cent of the 6,000 respondents supported a bridge.

A Transport for London spokesperson said: “Following a public consultation in November 2017, we have been working to develop our proposed plans for a pedestrian and cycling crossing between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf.

"As part of this, we have been engaging directly with key stakeholders, such as the Port of London Authority and the boroughs on either side of the river, working through issues such as bridge alignment, landing points, opening mechanism, construction methods and operating procedures. This will ensure the final scheme is deliverable and appropriate for all users. We are still working on the designs and plans.”

​The original cost estimate for the bridge was set at £300m to £400m. TfL has not yet confirmed if this estimate has changed. It will put its new plans out for a consultation which will launch in the spring.

The Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf crossing will be London’s first cycling-and-walking bridge and is part of TfL's Healthy Streets project, in which TfL wants to clean up the capital's air and encourage more Londoners to walk, cycle and use public transport.

Last November Sadiq Khan said he hoped the bridge would open in 2024 but warned that was an "ambitious timescale".