Woolwich foot tunnel

The Woolwich foot tunnel is a special pathway that goes under the River Thames in Woolwich, East London. It connects Old Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham. This tunnel is very useful because it lets people walk or ride bicycles across the river when the Woolwich Free Ferry isn’t running.

Both ends of the tunnel are important buildings that are protected by law, called Grade II listed buildings. The south end is partly hidden behind a place called the Waterfront leisure centre. This south entrance is also the oldest building still standing near the river in Old Woolwich. The tunnel is open all day, every day, making it a handy route for anyone traveling between these two parts of London.

Construction

The Woolwich foot tunnel was designed by Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice and built by Walter Scott & Middleton for the London County Council. It opened on Saturday, 26 October 1912, with Lord Cheylesmore, Chairman of the LCC, officially starting it. The tunnel was largely made possible through the hard work of Will Crooks, a politician who helped improve conditions for working people. He chaired the LCC's Bridges Committee and later became a Labour MP for Woolwich.

Refurbishment

Greenwich Council began improving the Woolwich foot tunnel and the Greenwich foot tunnel in April 2010. The work aimed to fix leaks, improve drainage, and add new lifts, security cameras, and signs. At first, the tunnel was closed during weekdays while the Woolwich Free Ferry offered an alternative way across the river.

In September 2010, the tunnel had to close completely because of safety issues with the stairs and walls. It was meant to reopen in August 2011 but finally opened again in December 2011, though only with stairs at first.

The tunnel now has a system that lets people use their mobile phones. It is 504 metres long, and the roof is about 3 metres below the riverbed at its deepest point.

In 2016, a system was added to help manage how people use the tunnel. It shows messages to encourage safe behaviour for everyone using the space. However, some rules about cycling in the tunnel could not be updated, and a group supporting the tunnels stopped working together in March 2021.

Usage

In 2016, a survey found that about 1,000 people walk through the Woolwich foot tunnel every day.