|
A new free-flow charging system at the Dartford Crossing is set to cost £42.3 million, according to a report.
Local London paper News Shopper reports that the project to design, build and operate the new electronic system aimed at reducing congestion will soon go out to tender.
A Highways Agency spokesman told the paper: "The Highways Agency is engaging with technical experts from across the industry to develop the best ideas and to gauge interest from potential suppliers."
The Dartford Crossing suffers badly from congestion, with some 50 million vehicles using it each year.
Department for Transport (DfT) data reveals that the crossing operated above its design capacity on 257 days (70 per cent) of the year in 2010 and that the average delay is seven to 11 minutes on the slowest 10 per cent of journeys.
DfT wants the new charging system to be in place by the end of 2013.
|