Thames Gateway Bridge

The concept was re-proposed in 2004, with preliminary planning proceeding until November 2008, when Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, cancelled the entire £500 million scheme.

The bridge was to have a span of about 650 metres (0.4 mi), with a 50-metre (160 ft) vertical clearance for ships but be low enough not to impede the flight approach to the nearby London City Airport.

The design and the location were similar to the East London River Crossing, which was proposed and approved by two public inquiries from the 1970s to the 1990s but subsequently dropped by the Department for Transport.

[7] However Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, requested that the inquiry be re-opened to examine the evidence further as to whether the bridge would lead to regeneration and to investigate the potential impact on pollution.

The reasons cited for cancellation included local opposition, insufficient funding, projected detrimental effects on traffic flow and concerns over the bridge's location and environmental impact.

[12] This annotated satellite photograph shows the location of the proposed bridge, the nearest upstream and downstream road crossings and nearby towns and areas of interest.