The long-awaited repair of the Woolwich Foot Tunnel’s north lift could finally be completed by December, ending almost four years of disruption for commuters, cyclists and disabled users.
The lift at the North Woolwich entrance has been out of service since August 2022 after being vandalised. Since then, residents have repeatedly raised concerns about the impact on accessibility, with many users forced to rely on stairs or seek alternative routes across the River Thames.
Greenwich Council, which manages the tunnel, has now said repairs are expected to take place between now and December. The update comes after years of delays linked to funding agreements, the age of the infrastructure and difficulties sourcing replacement parts.
The tunnel, which connects Woolwich in south-east London with North Woolwich in Newham, is jointly owned by Greenwich and Newham councils. Newham cllr Zulfiqar Ali previously suggested the lift could reopen by the end of the summer. However, Greenwich Council has indicated that the work is likely to take longer.
Cllr Calum O’Byrne Mulligan, Greenwich Council’s cabinet member for transport, said the age of the tunnel had complicated the repairs. “The structure is well over 100 years old, so it requires bespoke parts which have taken some time to manufacture,” he said.
“That has meant it has taken longer for the works to start than we, Newham, and our residents had hoped would be the case.”
Greenwich Council said the repairs will cost around £217,000. Newham Council has contributed £120,000 towards replacement parts, including upgrades to the lift control system, fire systems, CCTV and lighting. The authority also contributes £125,000 annually towards maintenance, inspections and operational costs at the tunnel.
For many users, the closure has had a significant impact on daily travel. Campaign group Lifts Now’ has repeatedly called for action, arguing that the broken lift has made the tunnel inaccessible for some residents.
Campaigner Nathan Budden said the closure has limited his ability to cycle through the tunnel because of a long-term shoulder injury. “It stops me from cycling a lot of places because I’ve got a longstanding shoulder injury, so I can’t carry my bike up the stairs on the other side,” he said.
“I can’t always rely on the boat either because of the time of day or the weather, and it more than triples the amount of time.” He added that many workers commuting through the tunnel had also become frustrated by the delays.
Campaigners have previously called on Tfl to take over responsibility for the Woolwich and Greenwich foot tunnels. However, Greenwich Council has said TfL is not currently interested in taking control of the crossings.
Instead, Greenwich, Newham and Tower Hamlets councils have established a joint working group to explore a wider regeneration programme for both the Woolwich and Greenwich foot tunnels, with the aim of improving long-term reliability and accessibility.
