Protestors guilty over Dartford Crossing closure
Two protesters have been found guilty of causing the Dartford Crossing to be shut last October after climbing the bridge in a Just Stop Oil protest. Activists Morgan Trowland, 40, of Islington, London, and 34-year-old Marcus Decker, 34, of no fixed address, claimed it was a peaceful protest but were convicted at Basildon Crown Court […]
Just Stop Oil protestors accused of having “blood on their hands”
Two activists who climbed the Queen Elizabeth II bridge at Dartford last week are being accused of having “blood on their hands” after two women died in a crash on the nearby M20. The Sun reports that emergency services took longer to arrive than normal because of traffic jams caused by the closure of the […]
QE2 Bridge closure into second day
A closure of the key Queen Elizabeth II crossing between Essex and Kent is into its second day as protestors who climbed the supports continue to occupy the bridge. Essex Police says it’s “working with partners” to try to safely resolve the situation. The protestors are from Just Stop Oil. One is a bridge engineer, […]
Work starts to repaint QE2 Bridge
Work has started on a multi-year programme to paint the QEII bridge at Dartford. Specialist crews from engineering firm Jackson Civil Engineering are working at night during the first phase to overcoat exposed areas to provide a protective layer to the bridge’s exterior. They work from maintenance gantries beneath the bridge to access the work […]
National Highways releases Dartford Crossing congestion video explanation
National Highways has released a new animation showing what it calls the unprecedented levels of traffic that use the Dartford Crossing every Friday, as part of an explanation for the need for the new Lower Thames Crossing. It says, despite one of the largest traffic teams in the country working around the clock to keep […]
Dartford Crossing has seen its revenues reduce significantly during the pandemic as journeys were reduced
National Highways has revealed its coffers have taken a hit as traffic volumes between Kent and Essex fell by a quarter (25.5%). Latest accounts for the year ended March 31 2021, show income generated from the river Crossing, which uses a free-flow charging system known as the Dart Charge, decreased by £47.6m to £161.4m, reports Kent Online. […]
New data reveals Dartford Crossing carrying more food and goods
The role of the Dartford Crossing in keeping goods and people moving during and after the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic has been revealed in new data released by Highways England. The figures show that despite the restrictions put in place in England, the crossing regularly carried more traffic than it was designed for and […]
HE extends Dart Charge Debt Recovery Contract
Highways England is extending CDER Group’s existing contract for the recovery of unpaid Dart Charge penalties for a further two years until June 2023. Having worked with Highways England on the Dartford Crossing Dart Charge project since the removal of barriers and toll booths in November 2014, CDER says this latest contract extension is a […]
emovis and Conduent win HE’s Dartford Crossing contracts
Highways England has awarded the first of its multi-package contracts for its second-generation free-flow charging service. Consisting of three core packages, the first two contracts, worth up to a combined £270m over 10 and a half years, have been awarded to Conduent and emovis, who will primarily operate the existing Dartford Crossing free-flow charging scheme, […]
Dart Charge drivers discover accounts have been closed
It’s emerged almost 78,000 motorists who have accounts at the Dartford Crossing have had them automatically closed because they’ve not been used for 15 months. The website MoneySavingExpert.com is urging people to check if their account has been closed without realising, because if it has, they could be fined if they then use the crossing […]
