Rotherhithe Tunnel - Definition and Overview

The Rotherhithe tunnel is a road tunnel crossing beneath the River Thames in east London.

The tunnel connects Limehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets north of the river to Rotherhithe in the London Borough of Southwark south of the river. It was constructed between 1904-1908 by Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice, partly using a tunnelling shield and partly through cut-and-cover methods. The entrance arches at each end of the tunnel (above) are in fact the cutting edges of the original tunnelling shields used by Fitzmaurice.

Sectional map of the Rotherhithe Tunnel, 1906

The Rotherhithe Tunnel consists of a single bore 4,860 feet long, carrying a two-lane carriageway 48 feet below the high-water level of the Thames. Its sharp curves served two purposes: avoiding the local docks on each side of the river, and preventing horses from seeing daylight at the end of the tunnel too early which might make them bolt for the exit. Unfortunately, this has made it difficult for motorised vehicles to traverse it safely. Large vehicles cannot easily pass the sharp bends and are therefore banned from the tunnel. The speed limit of 20 miles per hour is enforced with speed cameras but frequently exceeded. A 2003 survey rated the Rotherhithe Tunnel the tenth most dangerous tunnel in the whole of Europe. [1] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2970901.stm)

The tunnel was opened in 1908 by George Prince of Wales, and Richard Robinson Chairman of the London County Council.

It should not be confused with the earlier and much more historic Thames Tunnel, designed and built under the supervision of Marc Isambard Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and now carrying the East London Line of the London Underground.

See also

• Crossings of the River Thames
• List of tunnels in the United Kingdom
• Tunnels underneath the River Thames