Oct 20, 2022 Morgan Trowland & Marcus Decker have been charged with committing a public nuisance and were tried at Southend Magistrates Court today The defendants elected to be tried by a jury at Basildon Crown Court a date has been set for November 17 at 10am #DartfordCrossing #Dartford #QE2 2 13 Dartford Bridge One motorist bellowed at them: 'People have got f****** work to go to' while another added 'people are trying to go to hospital', Members of the public were not amused by the protest group's activities and removed them themselves from the road, Just Stop Oil sprayed orange paint over the Aston Martin car showroom in an apparent spontaneous act of vandalism, The spray painter somehow found themselves on the floor and appeared to have been arrested by the Metropolitan Police. It was awful., Ambulance crews took 40 minutes to reach the scene (pictured) in Swanley, Kent. 'I'm late for a job interview, I probably won't make it, but I'll just have to wait and see. Cyclists report to the crossing control offices on either side, using a free telephone service. Just Stop Oil supporters scaled the. [123] The new road will be 14.3 miles (23.0km) in length, and have a 2.6mi (4.2km) twin-bore tunnel crossing under the River Thames east of Gravesend and Tilbury. [114], At busy times there was significant delay at the payment booths when these existed. The best beach in Britain that you've never heard of: Seaside town is braced for tourism boom after Kate Garraway reveals Derek's heartbreaking words when they thought he had just minutes left to live. [101], The transport of hazardous goods through the crossing is governed by the European ADR Agreement. 'The authorities are criminally failing to get this grim science communicated. [49] The two-lane bore tunnel[50] opened to traffic on 18 November 1963;[3][51] the total project cost was 13 million (equivalent to 255 million in 2019[43])[52] and it initially served approximately 12,000 vehicles per day. Just Stop Oil activists have shut the Dartford Bridge by climbing onto cables high above the road linking Essex and Kent. It consists of two bored tunnels and the cable-stayed Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. 802. The combined crossing now handles four lanes of traffic in each direction. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. For more stories like this, check our news page. During construction of the approach road, a World War II bomb was found in its path, which required closure of the entire crossing. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web Dartford Crossing bridge to reopen tonight after safety inspections The QEII bridge at Dartford is set to reopen later tonight after protesters who scaled the bridge were removed by Essex Police. '. set up an account by post. [35] Drivers who fail to pay the charge are issued with a penalty charge notice. The two women the man was trying to help were involved in a crash - but due to the traffic. The M25 connected to the tunnels at both ends when completed in 1986, and the increased traffic put pressure on the tunnels' capacity. Only direct action will now help to reach the social tipping point we so urgently need.'. The bridge had to be closed for safety reasons while the protesters were in place. In a video posted from on top of the bridge today, one of the protesters said he was 'not willing to sit back and watch everything I love burn for the rest of my life'. ', Documentary filmmaker Rich Felgate, who has worked with Just Stop Oil in the past, says the pair are supporters of the environmentalist group, Furious motorists have vented their frustration at being caught in the delays after police closed the bridge earlier this morning, There are long delays this morning, with police saying there were queues of up to three miles long and waits of more than an hour at 6am, There are reports of more than seven miles of congestion in Kent and five miles in Essex on the M25 as a result of the closure today. Police have closed the Dartford Crossing after two people climbed the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at 3.50am Essex Police says it is dealing with them 'as quickly and as safely' as possible, but. 18th Feb 2022, 11:31am A major bridge at the Dartford Crossing has been closed due to strong winds from Storm Eunice, Highways England has announced. He was arrested in 2019 while taking part in protests by Extinction Rebellion in London, for which he was convicted of taking part in an unauthorised protest and fined 500 and given a six month conditional discharge. E-newspapers. Our supporters will be returning - today, tomorrow and the next day - and the next day after that - and every day until our demand is met: no new oil and gas in the UK.'. Delays continue in Dartford after Just Stop Oil protesters climb QEII Traffic has been seen tailing back on the M25 for seven miles this morning after Just Stop Oil activists scaled the girders of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge shortly before rush-hour. Speciality Museums. The crossing, although not officially designated a motorway, is considered part of the M25 motorway's route, using the tunnels northbound and bridge southbound. 28/02/2023 John Smith 0 Comments. [85] This was abolished when the Dart Charge was introduced in 2014. Moment furious cabbie 'Who do they think they are?' A spokesperson forJust Stop Oil said about the action last night: They are not going to come down in the dark, and the bridge is still closed. For such a small, borough museum it is packed with interest and features. Dartford Crossing M25 Monday 17 October 2022, 6:24pm Watch: Footage released by Just Stop Oil shows protestors at the top of the QEII bridge. The two women the man was trying to help were involved in a crash but due to the traffic caused by the Dartford Bridge, the ambulance was delayed in arriving, leading to their deaths. 'But it's completely out of my hands and so frustrating. A lorry driver who "watched a Romanian comedy TV show" before he hit and killed a young woman from Basildon on the Dartford Crossing has been found guilty of causing her death by dangerous driving. A driver has been arrested over suspected drug driving after a car crashed and ended on its roof. 'The climate crisis is a product of greed, just as the cost of living crisis is a product of greed and I will not comply with a system that puts profits before the people and the planet. [105], The tunnel is patrolled by National Highways traffic officers. The Automobile Association said the scheme had faults, while a BBC report showed 1.8 million fines had been issued for failure to pay in the year since the charge was set up. Just Stop Oil has named one of the two protesters who have scaled the Dartford Bridge this morning as Morgan Trowland. Motorcycles are free but there are standard charges for cars, two-axle goods vehicles and larger vehicles with more than two axles. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. My understanding is that they are going to stay up there until they are brought down. Kent Polices Serious Collision Investigation Unit has stated the need for anyone with further information or dash-cam footage of the incident to get in contact. [21][22] Thurrock Council suggest that this crossing will be essential for managing congestion. One motorist bellowed at them: 'People have got f****** work to go to' while another added 'people are trying to go to hospital'. [20] The Lower Thames Crossing is a proposed tunnel to the east between Shorne, Kent and South Ockendon, Essex. Dartford News & Sport, latest news from Dartford Messenger - Kent Online [106] The crossing's speed limit is enforced by speed cameras; between October 2012 and June 2014, 24,229 drivers were caught speeding, with some travelling as fast as 94 miles per hour (151km/h). Mr Heap added: The tree surgeons did a blinding job.. [23] A public consultation on the scheme ended in March 2016, with the route announced in April 2017,[22][24][25] Dartford Crossing closed for second day as activists refuse to climb 'This is not a one day event, expect us every day and anywhere. Drivers who use the Dartford Crossing - part of the M25 motorway which crosses the River Thames, linking Kent and Essex via tunnels and a bridge - must normally pay 2.50 per car per crossing. [59] The second tunnel opened in May 1980, allowing each tunnel to handle one direction of traffic, by which time the joint capacity of the two tunnels had increased to 65,000 vehicles per day. Customers are able to return plastic or glass bottles and aluminium cansin exchange for vouchers wo Energy bills are set to increase as the level of the government's Energy Price Guarantee will rise, The company expects its gas retail portfolio will be "almost entirely gone" by end of 2024, Aldi pays back customers for recycled plastic bottles, Ofgem to unveil new energy price cap next week, Drax to exit gas sales on customers SME business. The crossing is estimated to cost between 6.4 billion and 8.2 billion, taking about six years to build once permission is granted.[124]. [77], In 2000, the European Union issued a directive that value-added tax should be charged on all road tolls, including the Dartford Crossing. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. The bridge can be closed due to high winds[6] or maintenance. But their actions, bringing the traffic to a stand-still on the M20, caused the crash in which those two women died. "Officers attended along with South East Coast Ambulance Service and a man in his 20s from Essex was pronounced deceased. This is an act of resistance against a criminal government and their genocidal death project. Travel back in time to 18 November 1963, to just before midday, when the newly excavated tunnel beneath the Thames at Dartford was to open, and you'll . Essex Police said colleagues at National Highways are escorting traffic through the Dartford Tunnel in a bid to alleviate the impact of the road closure. Eco protesters have been accused of having 'blood on their hands' after two women died on a motorway during the Just Stop Oil protest on Dartford Bridge. The mum-of-one, in her 40s, is believed to have been forced . The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which crosses the River Thames and links Essex and Kent, will be shut until 5pm at the earliest, Highways England say, with traffic instead being funelled through. ', The force later said: 'Our colleagues from National Highways South East have now began escorting traffic through the tunnel. These had a lower deck purpose-built for carrying bicycles, with upper deck seats for cyclists. [93] In September, the Highways Agency announced that the new scheme would start to operate at the end of November, though related works to remove barriers would continue until April 2015. Police have diverted traffic heading south through one of the tunnels in a bid to ease congestion. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Dartford Crossing latest news - Kent Live The chaos has sparked traffic carnage with two hour delays and six miles. Serious incident on QE2 bridge causes miles of traffic tailing back to Lakeside. A further option was introduced giving unlimited crossings for 20 annually. The toll booths were replaced by electronic charging barriers in 2014. contact the editor here. Dartford crossing bridge closed by Essex Police after reports pair 18 November 1963: The Dartford Tunnel opens | MoneyWeek 4. The petition follows an incident that occurred on October 22 when the A282 was closed for two hours after Kent Police were concerned for the welfare of a woman on the bridge. The crossing has always been tolled, and though the cost of construction has since been paid back, the toll was retained, and rebranded as a congestion pricing scheme from 1 April 2003. In a Facebook post last year he said: 'Your children are facing annihilation within a decade or two, who knows exactly when? The Just Stop Oil protesters on the Dartford Bridge earlier this week now have blood on their hands, a man has said who was badly injured trying to help two women needing assistance on the M20. Since the campaign began on April 1st, Just Stop Oil supporters have been arrested over 1,700 times, with 5 currently in prison. In 2006 Exercise Orpheus was held, involving the closure of both road tunnels for five hours. The road was completely blocked on the A282 clockwise for the QE2 bridge while emergency services, which also included the South East Coast Ambulance Service, attended the incident- the road has now been re-opened. [61] In 1985, the Transport Minister, Lynda Chalker, announced that the number of toll booths would be increased to 12 each way, but concern grew that two tunnels would not be able to cope with the full demands of a completed M25. The bamboo-loving demonstrator - who has built numerous bamboo sculptures and objects for use at protests - says he is certain climate change will cause havoc for future generations. [122], In 2017, a route connecting the M25 at North Ockendon to the A2 at Thong was selected. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to More. It has since reopened. I dont think they deliberately caused the crash. [53][54] The Dartford Tunnel Act 1967 gave a joint committee of Kent and Essex county councils (the Dartford Tunnel Joint Committee) the authority to increase the tolls, and in December 1977, the toll was raised from 25p to 35p for cars, 40p to 55p for two-axle goods vehicles, and 60p to 85p for HGVs. 1 Just Stop Oil says the two climbers ascended the two 84m masts on the north side of the. Without the protest the emergency services might have been able to get there in time to save the women., A former Detective Chief Inspector, Mick Neville, went further in his interview with The Sun, stating: Had their irresponsible demo not taken place, the women and van driver would probably not have been there.. Drivers were using the M20 to avoid tailbacks when two protesters suspended themselves off Dartford Bridge, closing it for two days. [57], Construction was approved in April 1971, with an initial expected opening date in 1976. Essex police said that the man, believed to be 42 and from Buckinghamshire, left . [27] However, cash payments are accepted at some Payzone retail outlets. Advertisement [120][121] Options considered included an additional crossing at Dartford for long distance M25 traffic, as well as new crossings located in the Swanscombe or Tilbury area. The protest caused havoc in London, as enormous congestion and high levels of traffic began to pile up. "The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.". Not so shipshape! It's the protesters choice to be up there, so why don't we make them deal with the consequences?'. [40] Initial reports at the start of the year suggested a crossing between Tilbury and Gravesend, replacing a ferry service,[41] but this had been rejected by July in favour of a route further upstream, near Dartford. In an ominous warning, the Just Stop Oil said this morning that it expects the bridge to remain closed for 'at least 24 hours' while the demonstrators remain in the air. Mum launches petition over Dartford bridge dubbed 'a disaster waiting