Dartford – Thurrock maintenance

Latest updates

• 17 April 2024

  Resurfacing update

  Our nearby resurfacing work on the M25 anti-clockwise carriageway, from junction 30 to junction 29, is now complete. We therefore won’t require our contingency bookings on Wednesday 17 and Friday 19 April which included a closure of the Dartford east tunnel.

  We will require one shift, on Thursday 18 April to undertake technology work on the A282 northbound carriageway underneath junction 1a, which will necessitate a closure of the Dartford east tunnel.

  Please see here for the upcoming closures scheduled at the Dartford Crossing.

• 04 April 2024

  Monday 8 April to Wednesday 17 April, overnight east-bore tunnel closures

  The east-bore tunnel is now scheduled to close from 10pm until 5:30am on weeknights between:

  • Monday 8 and Friday 12 April
  • Monday 15 and Wednesday 17 April

  The west-bore tunnel, which was previously scheduled to close overnight on these dates, will remain open. This change has been made to allow nearby resurfacing work to be completed safely on the M25 anti-clockwise carriageway between junction 30 and junction 29.

  Three extra closures have been booked as a contingency measure in case weather conditions are unsuitable for resurfacing work. Should work be completed as planned, these extra shifts won’t be required and the closures will not be implemented:

  • Contingency bookings - Wednesday 17, Thursday 18 and Friday 19 April

  As usual, our routine tunnel safety inspections will continue on weekends:

  • West-bore tunnel closure, 10pm to 5am Saturdays (excluding Saturday 6 April due to an overnight closure of the QEII bridge)
  • East-bore tunnel closure, 10pm to 5am on Sundays (no access for vehicles over 4.8m)

  Reminder: Our next full closure of the QEII bridge is scheduled for this weekend, with the bridge closed between 10pm on Saturday 6 April and 5am on Sunday 7 April for routine safety inspections and maintenance.

  Please note, that while we have carefully planned and coordinated this work, there may be some changes in the event of adverse weather conditions, or any other unplanned events. To check live traffic conditions on the strategic road network, please visit the Traffic England website. Further information about scheduled roadworks and events in the Southeast can be found @HighwaysSEAST or via the daily road closure report.

• 28 March 2024

  Overnight closures planned for next week

  In order to help keep journeys moving smoothly over the Easter bank holiday, no closures are scheduled at the Dartford Crossing this weekend.

  Overnight closures of the west-bore tunnel will be in place next week from Wednesday 3 April. Reminder: our next full overnight closure of the QEII bridge is scheduled next weekend on Saturday 6 April.

  Dartford Crossing scheduled closures:

  • Thursday 28 March to Tuesday 2 April; no planned closures
  • Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 April; west tunnel closure, 10pm to 5:30am

  The east-bore tunnel will remain open for northbound traffic

  • Saturday 6 April; QEII Bridge closure, 10pm to 5am

  A contraflow diversion for southbound traffic will be in place via the east-bore tunnel

  The west-bore tunnel will remain open for northbound journeys. Vehicles between 4.8m and 5.0m in height travelling northbound will be diverted via the M25 clockwise

  • Sunday 7 April; east tunnel closure, 10pm to 5am

  As usual, we’ll undertake our weekly safety checks in the east-bore tunnel on Sunday night.

  Vehicles up to 4.8m in height will be diverted through the west-bore tunnel

  Vehicles between 4.8m and 5.0m in height will be diverted via the M25 clockwise.

• 28 February 2024

  Overnight west-bore tunnel closures scheduled from Monday 4 March

  Regular overnight closures of the east-bore tunnel, which have been in place during the week throughout February 2024, are due to finish on Friday 1 March 2024.

  On Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 March, we’ll undertake our usual weekend routine tunnel safety inspections between 10pm and 5am in the west-bore tunnel and east-bore tunnel respectively.

  Between Monday 4 March and June 2024, the west-bore tunnel is scheduled to close regularly overnight during the week between 10pm and 5:30am. We'll be carrying out repairs to some essential hardware in the tunnel, such as fans and electronic signs. The adjacent east-bore tunnel will remain open overnight for northbound journeys.

  Routine tunnel safety inspections will continue to take place on weekends and our next full closure of the QEII bridge is scheduled between 10pm on Saturday 6 April and 5am on Sunday 7 April 2024.

• 25 January 2024

  Reminder: overnight east-bore tunnel closures scheduled between Monday 5 February and 1 March 2024

  Since last Summer we’ve been working in the west-bore tunnel at night during the week. Recent work has included repairs to the tunnel’s ventilation systems, drainage, steelwork and pipework, cabinets, railings and electrical equipment, and the re-waterproofing of the carriageway as it runs through the tunnel.

  Between Monday 5 February and Friday 1 March, work will move over into the east-bore tunnel, where we’ll be carrying out essential CCTV upgrades. Both tunnels have CCTV systems that are monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by our dedicated crossing control teams to keep road users safe and on the move.

  To undertake this work safely, the following overnight closures are scheduled between 10pm and 5.30am during the week. We’ll continue to undertake routine tunnel safety inspections and general maintenance on Saturday and Sunday nights.

  • Overnight closures of the east-bore tunnel are scheduled between 10pm and 5.30am from Monday to Fridays
  • Overnight closure of the west-bore tunnel are scheduled between 10pm and 5am on Saturdays
  • Overnight closures of the east-bore tunnel are scheduled between 10pm and 5am on Sunday

  Please note: the west-bore tunnel will not close on Saturday 24 February due to our next planned closure of the QEII Bridge, which is scheduled between 10pm on Saturday 24 February and 5am on Sunday 25 February for routine safety inspections. The west-bore tunnel will remain open for northbound traffic and a contraflow diversion will be installed through the east-bore tunnel to allow southbound traffic to continue to cross from Essex to Kent.

• 12 January 2024

  Scheduled overnight west tunnel closures, QEII bridge closure, and emergency barrier repair in January 2024

  Following a busy festive period, regular overnight closures of the west-bore tunnel have now resumed which will be in place in throughout January 2024.

  We're replacing some key equipment in the west-bore tunnel which forms part of the tunnel’s ventilation system, and some of the panels which line the tunnel. We’ll also be testing equipment in other areas of the tunnel.

  To safely carry out this work, the west-bore tunnel is scheduled to close overnight during the week and on Saturday nights between 10pm and 5am, until Sunday 4 February 2024. A diversion will be in place each night via the adjacent east-bore tunnel.

  There are some nights where different parts of the crossing are scheduled to close, and the west tunnel will remain open:

  • On Sunday nights, the east-bore tunnel is scheduled to close between 10:30pm and 5:30am for routine safety checks and maintenance. A diversion will be in place via the adjacent west-bore tunnel.

  If you’re travelling northbound on a Sunday night towards the tunnels, please note that height restrictions will be in place, which applies to vehicles between 4.8m (15‘-9”) and 5.0m (16’-6”) high.

  • The QEII bridge is scheduled to close between 10pm on Saturday 13 and 5am on Sunday 14 January 2024 for planned routine safety checks and bridge maintenance. A contraflow diversion for southbound traffic will be in place via the east-bore tunnel. The west tunnel will remain open for northbound traffic.

  Due to the contraflow diversion, please note that a height restriction will be in place for northbound traffic which applies to vehicles between 4.8m (15‘-9”) and 5.0m (16’-6”) high.

  We’ll also need to carry out emergency barrier repairs on the A282 northbound carriageway this weekend. To carry out this work safely, the northbound carriageway will be closed overnight between junction 2 and junction 1a from 10:30pm on Sunday 14 January until 5am on Monday 15 January.

  A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the A2 eastbound, B255 northbound and the A206 westbound, to re-join the A282 at junction 1a.

  Scheduled overnight east-bore tunnel closures – Monday 5 February to March 2024

  Between Monday 5 February and early March 2024, we'll be continuing our work to upgrade the CCTV systems in the east-bore tunnel. The CCTV is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by our dedicated teams to help keep journeys at the crossing safe and reliable. To safely carry out this work, the east-bore tunnel is scheduled to close overnight during the week and on Sunday nights, between 10pm and 5am.

  Please note that a height restriction will be in place for northbound traffic which applies to vehicles between 4.8m (15‘-9”) and 5.0m (16’-6”) high.

  There are some nights where different closures will be in place and so the east tunnel remain open:

  On Saturday nights, the west-bore tunnel is scheduled to close between 10pm and 5am for routine safety checks and maintenance. A diversion will be in place via the adjacent east-bore tunnel.

  Looking further ahead

  Work is scheduled to resume in the west-bore tunnel again from early March 2023, however, please check back here for updates.

• 30 November 2023

  Planned works for the remainder of 2023

  Following a pause in our work to help improve journeys for freight partners during a busy Black Friday and Cyber Monday period, our overnight works are due to resume.

  We’ll start back in the west bore tunnel during weeknights and Saturday nights, between Saturday 2 December and Monday 18 December 2023.

  We’ll be working to replace some of the older electrical cables during the week, and carrying out routine safety checks and maintenance on Saturday nights to keep journeys safe and reliable.

  An overnight closure of the east bore tunnel will then be in place on Sunday nights to allow for routine safety checks and tunnel maintenance.

  We'll then pause our planned works between Monday 18 December and the New Year to help keep journeys moving over the festive period. Our overnight work in the west bore tunnel is scheduled to resume from Tuesday 2 January 2024.

  Head down to the 'upcoming closures' section for further details on our closures over the next two weeks.

• 22 November 2023

  Upcoming closures and works pause for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

  As well as serving more than 100,000 customer journeys each day, the Dartford Crossing plays an important role in keeping goods and services moving across the country, linking key distribution centre's and ports in the south east and further afield. We’re standing down our work over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, to help smooth journeys for our freight and transportation partners during this busier period.

  Our work in both tunnels and on the QEII bridge will be lifted between Sunday 26 November and Friday 1 December. Until then, we'll continue our maintenance and repair work in the west tunnel overnight.

  We’ll also be carrying out routine safety inspections and bridge maintenance on the QEII Bridge this weekend.
  To keep our teams and road users safe, the QEII Bridge is scheduled to close from 10pm on Saturday 25 November until 5am on Sunday 26 November 2023. We'll also be using the closure to carry out some additional resurfacing work within lanes 1, 2 and 3 to help keep journeys safe.

  Please head down to the 'upcoming closures' section of this page for more information on these planned closures, including diversion routes.

• 26 October 2023

  Tunnel maintenance and planned QEII bridge closure

  We’re continuing with our tunnel maintenance work which is expected to last until the end of the year.

  We’re carrying out routine repairs to various components such as the steelwork, drainage and electrical equipment to keep journeys safe and reliable.

  Our next full closure of the QEII bridge is planned between 10pm on Saturday 25 and 5am on Sunday 26 November 2023.

  Please see below full closure information below.

• 18 October 2023

  Changes to planned overnight closures

  We’ve decided to postpone our planned waterproofing and resurfacing work around the Dartford Crossing until Spring next year when the weather conditions are better.

  There have been some changes to the extended closures we had planned for this month.

  We will no longer need to close the east tunnel through to the M25 northbound carriageway (junction 31 to 30) on Saturday 21 and Saturday 28 October 2023.

  Instead, we will be closing the west tunnel to continue with our routine safety inspections and maintenance work.

  Please see full closure information below

• 12 October 2023

  West tunnel closures and planned QEII bridge closure

  We’re continuing our weeknight maintenance work in the west tunnel which is expected to last until the end of the year. At the same time, we’re carrying out repairs to the steelwork, drainage and electrical equipment to help keep journeys safe and reliable.

  We’re also planning to close the QEII bridge between 10pm on Saturday 14 and 5am on Sunday 15 October 2023.

  This is for routine safety inspections and maintenance work.

  We’ll then do our weekly safety checks in the east tunnel from 10pm on Sunday 15 until 5am on Monday 16 October.

  Please see full closure information below

• 15 September 2023

  M25 junction 31 waterproofing and A282 bridge painting

  M25 junction 31 carriageway waterproofing

  We need to re-waterproof a section of the northbound M25 carriageway where it crosses above the Purfleet Interchange at junction 31.

  Because the new materials need extra time to set before we can reopen the road safely, we’ll do this work over extended closures on Saturday nights when traffic levels are at their lowest.

  Please see full closure information below

  Due to the location of this work, we’ll need to close the east tunnel and lane two through the west tunnel to safely divert traffic at M25 junction 31, where work will be taking place under a full closure of the northbound carriageway between junctions 31 and 30.

  A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the M25 junction 31 Purfleet Interchange and the dedicated northbound linking road to re-join the M25 at junction 30.

  A282 junction 1b bridge painting

  We’re also nearing the completion of our repainting work on the bridge which carries the A226 over the A282 between junctions 1a and 1b. This protects the steelwork from corrosion and increases the lifespan of the bridge.

  We’ll need to close the northbound carriageway between the M25 junction 2 and A282 junction 1a overnight to carry out this work safely from Monday 2 October for five nights.

  Please see full closure information below

  The west tunnel will remain open via the A282 junction 1a northbound entry slip road, however, due to the location of this work, overnight access to the east tunnel will be unavailable on these dates.