Blackwall Tunnel

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

What is the height limit going south.
May have to go through tommrow.
Thanks
Mark

2

Mark.

I’m sure we go through with 14ft trailers south,but coming north,have to use the Woolwich ferry.(Don’t forget your duty free’s :wink: )

Ken.

3

according to my truckers atlas its 15’6" south bound and only 13’3" northbound

jon

4

That was quick.
Thanks Guys.
Mark

5

jonboy:
according to my truckers atlas its 15’6" south bound and only 13’3" northbound

jon

However…

Our trailers are marked as 13’ 6", and they go through the north-bound tunnel OK. :smiley:

6

flying_fenman:

jonboy:
according to my truckers atlas its 15’6" south bound and only 13’3" northbound

jon

However…

Our trailers are marked as 13’ 6", and they go through the north-bound tunnel OK. :smiley:

it is 13’ 3’ going north at longs they bought trailers just so they could get through the tunnel going north for when we loaded reels out of convoys wharf but i would never try anything higher than that and they used to hit the poles in the tunnel and coming up to the tunnel you have to go slow cos theres a slight bump coming up to the poles and if you hit it to fast you can hit the poles and set the bells off.

i think going south its 14’9" not to sure.

7

Going orth it’s 13’3 or 4 cant remember which but if you set the alarms off they sto you at a set of lights and send you up a slip road to avoid the tunnel…Oh & give you 3 points for the priveledge.

Southbound I t ought it was above the national minimum i.e no height posted.

I’ve been through it umpteen times during my years (although not for a while) and have neve had a problem southbound (heightwise anyway)

8

Can’t add anything to the height debate but seeing as this thread is entitled ‘Blackwall Tunnel’ I don’t think I am going off thread to ask how many on here remember the days when there was only one tunnel with 2 way traffic?

I think it was the northbound, that has the bends in it, right? It was a nightmare only just wide enough for two wagons to pass. I was terrified the first time, it was with an old 8 legger AEC flat. I dragged the nearside wheels along the kerb the whole way through and even then the offside mirror got clipped a few times.

I have a vague recollection that they later made it one way with Rotherhithe in the opposite direction until the new one was built.

Happy days :cry: :unamused:

Salut, David.

9

jessicas dad:
go slow cos theres a slight bump coming up to the poles and if you hit it to fast you can hit the poles and set the bells off.

■■■■ Poles are everywhere now :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

10

For the record

Northbound 13’ 4" or 4.0m dead

I’ll get the southbound tonight if I remember! Is there a sticky for this sort of info?

11

Its always been signposted at 13 4"..so i can give most of you an extra inch :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: thats the northbound...southbound is not signed cos its the normal 17 same as motorway bridges…
bear in mind there are restrictions though with regards to hazardous loads…theyre not allowed…
I have lived i this area for most of my life …and yes Spardo…i do remember when the tunnel had more tight bends than it does today…i remember when two double deckers used to meet on one of the bends…and one had to back up
i still reckon they should have not spent all that money on the dome and built a bridge ove the tunnel instead…still there is going to be a new bridge from Thamesmead to Becton…30 years after they first did a consultation…still arguing about whether to let trucks use it…or make it a car and buses only…

12

Truckyboy, you might be able to help.

Did those buses that used to go through the tunnel have bike racks on the side? I was talking to another driver about this the other day and he thought I was mad.

Late 60’s I think.

13

truckyboy:
Its always been signposted at 13 4"..so i can give most of you an extra inch :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: thats the northbound...southbound is not signed cos its the normal 17 same as motorway bridges…
bear in mind there are restrictions though with regards to hazardous loads…theyre not allowed…
I have lived i this area for most of my life …and yes Spardo…i do remember when the tunnel had more tight bends than it does today…i remember when two double deckers used to meet on one of the bends…and one had to back up
i still reckon they should have not spent all that money on the dome and built a bridge ove the tunnel instead…still there is going to be a new bridge from Thamesmead to Becton…30 years after they first did a consultation…still arguing about whether to let trucks use it…or make it a car and buses only…

Sorry Dad now I know what your feelings about kids are “little children should be seen and not heard” but I had a look last night and its 15’ 6" or 4.7m for the over the water boys and spring chickens.Do you remember that turkish wagon pulled the gantry down going south about 4(?) years ago? He turned out to be a big drug smuggler when they had a look in the back,but that caused CHAOS all round there. :wink:

P.S. Mum said she forgives you now

14

tartanraider:
For the record

Northbound 13’ 4" or 4.0m dead

I’ll get the southbound tonight if I remember! Is there a sticky for this sort of info?

15’ 6" or 4.7m southbound

15

Well i went through it yesyerday after getting stuck in all the traffic due to the limehouse tunnel being shut.

16

brit_mark:
What is the height limit going south.
May have to go through tommrow.
Thanks
Mark

may be around 15feet or more.
The newer tunnel, opened on 2 August 1967, is much wider, with fewer height restrictions and no sharp corners – very much designed for 20th century road traffic.

The tunnel is a notorious traffic bottleneck, with long tailbacks in the morning rush-hour on weekdays as traffic heads north from SE London and Kent towards central London. The transport authorities try to increase flows by opening one lane of the eastern tunnel to northbound traffic for two hours; this, of course, means there is only one lane for southbound traffic so the northern approaches quickly become jammed each morning. Unfortunately, the western tunnel is not suitable to operate a similar two-way flow in the evening, so the northern approaches are frequently even more jammed in the late afternoon/early evening.

sabre-roads.org.uk/gallery/t … eg/map.htm
streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x … search.srf

17

You can get an Iveco Daily through it no problem. Other than that I don’t know. :laughing:

18

Well that answers it then 13 4"...as for the bike racks...maybe on the buses that had an outside staircase...ha ha cyclist used to walk along a narrow pathway pushing the ■■■■ things..but of course they have been banned completely... Kenny....im telling mum about you…and your grounded …for your cheek…what have i told you about cheeking your elders…now get to your bedroom…
remember the turk though…bet he had a shock…probably still in jail…

19

truckyboy:
i still reckon they should have not spent all that money on the dome and built a bridge ove the tunnel instead.

Talking of the £billion Marquee (dome) I delivered there on many occaisions when it was being built.

I was told numerous times that they had actually built it in the wrong position.

They built it over the top of the ventilation shaft for the tunnel.

If you ever see a picture of it from the top (ie on the title credits for Eastenders) look at it as if it’s a clock face @ about 7 o’clock there’s a ■■■■■■■■■ hole.
That’s where they had to extend the ventilation shaft.

20

The Southbound tunnel is still 2 way in a morning, although they only allow cars and light vans to fight with the southbound trucks :stuck_out_tongue:

Someone really should get a tape measure and check the height of the Northbound, because it is either 4.0 metre or 13’.4’’ it cannot be both so anyone who has had points should contest it.