Dartford Crossing

The Dartford Crossing is the busiest road crossing of the River Thames, with approximately 193,000 vehicles using the crossing per day. It carries the A282 road between either end of the M25 in Dartford, Kent to the south and Thurrock, Essex to the north. It is the only road crossing of the River Thames east of the London built-up area, with the crossing lying around 20 miles east of central London.

The crossing consists of two bored tunnels, the east tunnel opening in 1963 and the west in 1980, and the cable-stayed Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which opened in 1991. The tunnels carry northbound (anticlockwise, in relation to the M25) traffic, with the bridge carrying southbound (clockwise) traffic.