An opening date for the controversial Silvertown Tunnel has been revealed.

Drivers will be able to take the new underwater route from April 7 – although users of it and the Blackwall tunnel will have to pay a toll to Transport for London (TfL).

It will cost cars £4 each way at peak times, which are Monday to Friday between 6am to 10am London-bound, and 4pm to 7pm for those heading coastbound.

Outside of these times and at the weekend, it will cost £1.50 for those opting to auto-pay and £2.50 for charges paid by phone or online.

Plans to introduce tolls were first outlined during an eight-week consultation last summer.

TfL also considered offering a 50% discount for low-income drivers living in 12 east and south-east London boroughs and the City of London – this will also be implemented in Spring.

At the time, Dartford MP Jim Dickson had welcomed the Silvertown Tunnel but called for concessions to be extended to other residents living near it, including his constituents.

Speaking to KentOnline, he said: “It is my view it is important that TfL considers an extension of the same concessions to be received by Londoners to include those within a close geographical radius outside London.

“However, if this were not possible an additional tier of discounts for those otherwise meeting qualifying criteria but living outside the immediate area should be introduced.”

Small businesses, sole traders and charities also benefit from a £1 discount on the off-peak auto-pay charge on a maximum of 3 vehicles, for at least 12 months from its opening.

The tolls on the new Silvertown and currently free Blackwall tunnels will help manage traffic in the area, says TfL.

They will also help repay the costs for the new route and cover ongoing maintenance and operation costs at both.

The Silvertown Tunnel was first announced in 2012 in a bid to ease congestion at the nearby Blackwall Tunnel. The latter runs from North Greenwich to Blackwall.

But the new 1.4km link will connect the Greenwich Peninsula on the eastern side with Silvertown, which is near London City Airport on the opposite side of the River Thames.

Stuart Harvey, TfL’s chief capital officer, said: “I’m pleased that we can now confirm that the Silvertown Tunnel will open on April 7 2025, following years of hard work and close collaboration between ourselves and Riverlinx Limited.

“The tunnel is on track to open in the coming months and is a testament to brilliant and groundbreaking engineering.

“The new tunnel, along with the initial user charges, discounts and exemptions, will support growth in the local area and provide new public transport connections across the river.

“These measures will also help manage traffic demand as well as the environmental impacts, and ensure the new tunnel delivers on its objectives of reducing traffic congestion and providing resilience at the Blackwall Tunnel, while ensuring we support local residents on low income, small businesses, sole traders and local charities.”

The project is being delivered by the Riverlinx consortium, which is made up of private financial companies.