A public consultation on plans for a new river crossing to reduce traffic at Dartford by 22 per cent, is entering its final week.

The ten-week consultation, which has seen a huge amount of input, will end on December 20 just before midnight.

Plans for a River Thames crossing include a 14.5-mile route connecting Gravesham in Kent and Thurrock, which is expected to the pressure off the Dartford Crossing.

It will almost halve the morning peak average journey times between M25 junctions 1b and 31 from nine minutes to just five.

A new Lower Thames Crossing would connect communities in Kent, Thurrock and the rest of Essex, boost the economy and add vital extra resilience to the road network.

It would be the first new road link across the Thames since the Queen Elizabeth II bridge opened at Dartford in 1991.

It is set to be the most ambitious road project since the M25 opened 30 years ago and will include the UK’s longest road tunnel.

Tim Jones, project director for the Lower Thames Crossing said: "Thousands of people have already had their say on our plans, and we have been hugely encouraged by the turn out at the dozens of local events that we have hosted.

"There is still time to get involved and help shape this once in a generation opportunity for the people of Kent, Thurrock and Essex."

"The Lower Thames Crossing will nearly double road capacity across the river Thames and almost halve northbound journey times at Dartford Crossing when it opens to traffic in 2027, and the Highways England team has hosted 60 events to enable people to share their views on the scheme."

For more information visit www.lowerthamescrossing.co.uk/haveyoursay