"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 17:32:59 on Fri, 12 Oct
2012, tim..... remarked:

the start of this thread was Roland's comment that its expansions was done
by a commercial organisation because the local councils would have ****ed
it up.

I didn't say that. The closest I came was saying that the original project
lost money, and the two councils would not have had the resources to build
the bridge. (Doubling the capacity for a second time, quadrupling the
original project).

Construction of the first tunnel started in 1938. It was always seen as part
of a project to allow road traffic to bypass central London since at that
time the only alternative fixed river crossing designed for anything like
modern road traffic was Southwark Bridge.

Further: since the increased traffic was due to the M25, a government
project, and not increased use by Essex and Kent ratepayers, I think it
was right for the government to take over the responsibility (which they
then outsourced to a private company).

I understand there is a scheme that allows local users discounted use of the
crossing.

--
DAS