Blackwall tunnel

[cruise_control]

What is it with this tunnel and trucks getting stuck in it i’ve never been through it and dont know where it is… (but have seen signs for it on M11)

i ask as this week twice on the radio during traffic reports i’ve heard one side/lane is closed/blocked due to a truck getting stuck is it a low tunnel how do they get out if they are wedged as this tunnel always seems to be in the traffic reports

[joshh]

Becuase there are low height barriers on it must be alot of trucks that get stuck.
it is a tight one.

I only have been through it once but i do know on each side of it there is a height restriction barrier.

[coddy]

Think Southbound you can come through at 15’ 6, Northbound is only 13’ 6 ish, also NB the tunnel is narrow with a couple of sharpish bends that in a full length outfit you need to straddle the outside lane a bit, also above the ouside lane are suspended pipes that act as a height barriers, dont half make a din if you can hit em with the corner of a roll on off skip as we used to do reguarly…
So its not an easy tunnel to contend with…

[part_timer]

When I was doing agency work for Somerfield at Huntingdon I had one drop to do on the Northside and another on the southside, I asked one of the full time drivers if we could get through the tunnel and he told me it was usually alright if you lowered the air suspension!!!
I took the long way round.

[brados]

I have been through north bound quite a few times at 13’ 4", the row off the dangly pipes scares you when you hit them, you have to use two lanes because of how the tunnel was built, sometimes there isn’t an alternative.

[wheel_nut]

It does confuse the issue with the wrongly marked height limit. As you get past the gantry there is a laser sensor that diverts the traffic up a sliproad with a barrier, there you are met with a grinning policeman and an upturned palm.

[blissy]

Why Does The Blackwall Tunnel Have Bends In It ?

Because the tunnel was originally built between 1892 and 1897 where transport was primarily by horse, and horses do not like to be led down underground so when they used to see daylight at the end of the tunnel, they would typically bolt for the end, causing collisions with other riders. Therefore bends were added to the tunnel to avoid these situations.

Dunno whether this is myth or not but I suppose it sounds plausible

[greek]

First trip to London F86 40ft flat east to west Comercial rd AZ in hand think I was going to convoys (not sure) anyway think Il go this way turn left Rotherhithe Tunnel (oops) :blush: too late Im in, got through & got away with it

[blissy]

greek:
First trip to London F86 40ft flat east to west Comercial rd AZ in hand think I was going to convoys (not sure) anyway think Il go this way turn left Rotherhithe Tunnel (oops) :blush: too late Im in, got through & got away with it

Now that is a narrow tunnel…although ive never been brave or lost enough to go through in a truck

[att]

I use the tunnel, usually southbound as 139" is too tall for northbound......Never a problem if you actually read the signs and know what height your vehicle is. I have trailers from 139" to 14`10"…Always pays to check the height of the trailer you are towing…But on saying that, there are height sensors in other areas of London that lie, I was told to turn around on Thursday because I was an overheight vehicle…Was I bollox as like, went through no problem, it would help if there was consistency, therefore people would trust signs, right now, no one trusts anything

[8wheels]

Blissy:

greek:
First trip to London F86 40ft flat east to west Comercial rd AZ in hand think I was going to convoys (not sure) anyway think Il go this way turn left Rotherhithe Tunnel (oops) :blush: too late Im in, got through & got away with it

Now that is a narrow tunnel…although ive never been brave or lost enough to go through in a truck

You’d struggle

max length 33’
max weight 18t
max width 7’6"

IIRC

[slim79]

Blissy:

greek:
First trip to London F86 40ft flat east to west Comercial rd AZ in hand think I was going to convoys (not sure) anyway think Il go this way turn left Rotherhithe Tunnel (oops) :blush: too late Im in, got through & got away with it

Now that is a narrow tunnel…although ive never been brave or lost enough to go through in a truck

That is only ever been through once in a transit and that was fun, pull yur wingmirror in especaly if ones coming the otherway.

Ill go southbound i willuse blackwall but northbound il either go woolwich or dartford. Was taking a transit luton northbund once was in outside lane, forgot it was a luton till i hit them bar things, soon wakes the drivers mate up with a bang

[dilbert]

many moons ago i went through the rotherhithe tunnel with a 20ft container. i saw the height limit and thought ,ah brilliant did,nt look at the width restriction sign oops.all the oncoming traffic rubbing the kerb on thier side of the tunnel and the nearside top corner of the box scraping tiles off the roof. i got away with it though!!! no coppers about .[1978] on the subject of blackwall tunnel i used to deliver to an antiques warehouse down the escape sliproad on the northbound side you dont half get some funny looks from other drivers especially with a high cube box!!!

[newmercman]

Speaking of the Rotherhithe Tunnel, you can use it an artic, the sand & gravel company on the north side of the tunnel, forget the name, used to have a lorry shuttling north & south through it all day & night, it was specially made to fit the dimensions of the tunnel.

[papermonkey]

Cruise Control:
What is it with this tunnel and trucks getting stuck in it i’ve never been through it and dont know where it is… (but have seen signs for it on M11)

i ask as this week twice on the radio during traffic reports i’ve heard one side/lane is closed/blocked due to a truck getting stuck is it a low tunnel how do they get out if they are wedged as this tunnel always seems to be in the traffic reports

It is quite a low tunnel, but that said there is ample warning on the approach, a suspended bar, and gongs when getting nearer, so there really is no excuse. Mind you, it is three inches lower going North than going South. On one of my agency runs, I used to go and tip in Greenwich, but had to go all around the M25 to get back to square one

[coffeeholic]

papermonkey:
Mind you, it is three inches lower going North than going South.

Three inches? The difference is more than 2 feet. Northbound 4.0 metres, southbound 4.72 metres.

[chaversdad]

its funny coming through the n/bound blackwall tunnel with a 60ft extender on, at every bend you have to move out into the outside lane to clear the corner with your trailer wheels but then get back into lane 1 in time before the big dangly pole start again as they dont half make a noise if you hit one of them { i took the top of the airstack on a 142 scania off like this but thats another story}

[dunno_then]

Cruise Control:
What is it with this tunnel and trucks getting stuck in it i’ve never been through it and dont know where it is… (but have seen signs for it on M11) i ask as this week twice on the radio during traffic reports i’ve heard one side/lane is closed/blocked due to a truck getting stuck is it a low tunnel how do they get out if they are wedged as this tunnel always seems to be in the traffic reports

Words fail me!!! Doh!!!

[buck_rogers]

used to go through this southbound only with my transporter part loaded.cant for the life of me remember where i kept going,but used it nearly every tuesday morning for bout a year.was pretty narrow from what i can remember,and im only talking back to 2001 ish.

[grayham]

Once saw a foreign artic wedged under the lower car/van height restriction on the northbound side, god knows why he didnt move into the left hand lane