London explores 22-mile ring road tunnel plan

The city of London is exploring a plan to construct a 22-mile underground tunnel to reduce traffic congestion in the city. The study for the project, called Inner Orbital Route, is being done by the consultant Transport for London. The project aims to free up capacity on the city surface, improve air quality, and reclaim space for public parks, pedestrians and cyclists. Estimated to cost £30bn, it will create two new crossings beneath the Thames river. The Inner Orbital Tunnel would be one of the most ambitious infrastructure schemes ever seen in the city, with subterranean dual carriageways linking key routes. Studies have forecasted a 60% increase in congestion in the central zone by 2031 if nothing is done, while outer areas would suffer increases in congestion of 15-25%. A portion of the costs would be met by freeing up development sites worth billions of pounds that are currently not available due to traffic congestion, such as the area around the Vauxhall interchange.