TG002 - Blackwall Tunnel – Back to the Future?
The Blackwall Tunnel is a Victorian engineering marvel that has constantly evolved to meet London’s transport needs. It originally opened as a single bore in 1897and carried a mixture of foot, cycle and vehicular traffic – both motorised and horse-drawn. By the 1930’s it was already becoming clear the tunnel was inadequate to meet changing transport needs, yet it wasn’t until 1967 that a second bore opened, at which point the original two-way tunnel became northbound only. Over time, as congestion and vehicle sizes increased, the original tunnel again faced a mismatch between what it was being expected to do, and what it had been designed for. The new Silvertown Tunnel creates a third tunnel for vehicles to cross the RiverThames, seeking in part to address the issue of oversize vehicles getting stuck and blocking a Victorian era tunnel that was designed to accommodate vehicles of an entirely different scale.
The new tunnel at Silvertown is not without controversy. People have objected to the principle of new road infrastructure, inducing demand for more vehicle journeys and the associated emissions. Given bicycles are not currently allowed in the Blackwall Tunnel, or permitted in the new Silvertown Tunnel, a ‘bike bus’ service is being provided free of charge (for now) to allow people with bicycles to make use of the connection. The alternative is to take your bike on the Cable Car, or to detour via the Rotherhithe Tunnel which does allow both cyclists and pedestrians to use the tunnel, albeit in less-than-ideal conditions.
So, what if we looked at a more radical idea? What if we take the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel as an opportunity to retrofit the original 1897 Blackwall Tunnel for a more sustainable transport future?
Tapestry has been considering how to retrofit the historic tunnel to create an active travel connection across the Thames in east London. Drawing on the ‘principles for designing quality underground places’ set out in Underground Urbanism (the 2020 book written by Tapestry Director and co-founder Liz Reynolds), our team have developed ideas to create a space that is welcoming and visually engaging - helping users safely navigate their way below ground with confidence.
Repurposing the 1897 Blackwall Tunnel, coupled with public realm enhancements at either end, could provide a new, high-quality cycle and walking route linking communities and businesses near the O2 and Greenwich Peninsula, with those in Canary Wharf and Poplar. This link could be delivered at a fraction of the cost and carbon of alternatives such as a new bridge between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf. The makeover would include interventions to break the journey into sections with digital artworks, lighting, and parts of the historic original structure revealed. There could also be opportunities for commercial interventions at the portals to improve user experience.
For more ideas on how to retrofit cities for a more sustainable and resilient future, please contact us:
Artwork by Marta Zabik
© Tapestry Urbanism 2025
