UK spending watchdog to investigate Lower Thames Crossing project

The National Audit Office has announced it will examine the planned £11bn road tunnel between Kent and Essex.

• NAO head Gareth Davies said his agency will "examine and report" on the Lower Thames Crossing and that tracking of the programme has already begun.
• Ministers committed this month to proceeding with the project after it was spared from billions of pounds in infrastructure cuts.
• The government allocated £3.1bn to tunnel construction and made an additional £174m available last month.
• A licence to run the new tunnel and the existing Dartford crossing is expected to be awarded to a private consortium in 2029, with completion scheduled for 2034.