Silvertown Tunnel, London

Background

Beneath the River Thames, a new connection now links East London’s Silvertown with the Greenwich Peninsula. The Silvertown Tunnel is a 1.4-kilometre twin-bore road tunnel designed to ease congestion at the nearby Blackwall Tunnel and improve the  reliability of cross-river travel for years to come.

Delivered by Riverlinx CJV, a consortium of Ferrovial Agroman, BAM Nuttall and SK Engineering & Construction, the £1 billion project marks one of London’s most significant infrastructure achievements in recent decades. Approved in 2018 and officially  opened to traffic in 2025, the tunnel introduces a new benchmark in tunnel construction, safety and sustainability.

A key driver behind the project was the need to reduce severe congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel, where queues and delays had long affected daily travel. In addition to improving journey times, the Silvertown Tunnel has been designed to meet demanding standards for visibility, efficiency and long-term operational safety.

Lighting played a vital role in achieving these standards. The design brief called for a  system that would deliver high energy efficiency, precise illumination levels and resilience under different failure scenarios, ensuring the tunnel could remain fully operational while maintaining driver comfort and safety.

Solution

TRT Lighting supplied its X-Range tunnel luminaires to provide high performance, energy-efficient illumination throughout both bores of the new crossing. The luminaires were selected following section approval and direct contract award to TRT by the  Riverlinx consortium.

The lighting design demanded compliance with stringent lighting levels under multiple failure scenarios, enabling the tunnel to continue operating safely even in the event of partial system outages. TRT’s X-Range, including X-Range Boost, and X-Range Interior models, was specified for its robustness, optical precision and reliability in continuous-operation environments.

Manufactured in the UK, the X-Range family delivers excellent luminous performance and uniformity while minimising glare, which is essential for driver comfort and safety in confined tunnel spaces. The luminaires also provide simplified maintenance access and long service life, contributing to the project’s focus on whole-life value and reduced energy consumption.

Outcome

The Silvertown Tunnel’s lighting system plays a vital role in realising the project’s operational and environmental goals. By integrating TRT’s LED tunnel luminaires, the scheme benefits from improved visibility, lower maintenance requirements and long-term energy efficiency, all within a demanding infrastructure environment. Officially opened by Transport for London, the tunnel now stands as a major achievement for modern engineering, supporting safer, faster and more sustainable travel across the Thames.