Woolwich Foot Tunnel is closed until further notice

London’s riversides are some of the most beautiful places to view the city from, whether you’re looking out from the South Bank to St Paul’s, or seeing the stunning Royal Naval College rise from the banks at Greenwich. 

When it comes to crossing the Thames, you’ve got plenty of choice in west and central London (unless you’re a vehicle trying to cross Hammersmith Bridge, of course). Venture east, though, and options get more sparse. You’re down to the DLR, or a handful of foot tunnels, road tunnels and ferries, some of which come with a fee. 

East Londoners, we bring you sad news: the river just got even harder to traverse thanks to the closure of one of the key eastern crossings, the Woolwich Foot Tunnel.

The tunnel, which has been operating without one of its lifts for the last three years, has closed until further notice due to drainage problems. 

Announcing the closure on social media on Thursday April 25, Greenwich Council initially stated that it was down to a ‘public safety issue’ before clarifying that ‘emergency drainage maintenance’ was the cause. 

The 113-year-old tunnel has been facing problems since a refurbishment job in 2011, and more recently has been without its north lift since August 2022. Difficulty sourcing lift parts has been blamed for the fact that it still hasn’t been fixed nearly three years on. 

Linking Woolwich to North Woolwich, the tunnel was built for dock workers and is co-owned by Greenwich council and Newham council, meaning they need to agree and collaborate on any maintenance done.

The Labour-led councils butted heads last year, holding up progress on the lift repair project, but the row seemed to have been resolved when Newham council coughed up the cash for the fixes. Still, there’s been no progress on the lift thus far, and it's unclear how long drainage maintenance will take or when the tunnel will reopen. Neighbouring Greenwich Foot Tunnel currently has both of its lifts out of action, and replacing all three broken lifts across the two crossings could cost up to £10.5 million.

Speaking at a council event in March, Greenwich council’s deputy leader Averil Lekau echoed local exasperation when responding to a question on the progress of tunnel works, saying: ‘There’s nothing I find more frustrating than the issue of the foot tunnels. Can I give you a date? No. Am I in control of that date? No. As soon as I am in control and I can give you that information, yes, I will give you that information, but I understand your frustration.’

Until the mystery day when Woolwich Foot Tunnel reopens to the public, people wishing to get to the other side of the Thames can take the Woolwich Ferry or the DLR.

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