Long tailbacks have shaped after the Dartford Crossing bridge was closed attributable to a protest by two oil protesters who climbed the construction.
There have been two-hour delays in each instructions and 7 to eight miles of congestion, mentioned National Highways at 8.40am.
Just Stop Oil mentioned two of its supporters had scaled the 84m-high masts on the north facet of the QE2 bridge “to demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents”.
It’s the newest protest by the group’s activists, who on Sunday sprayed an Aston Martin showroom with orange paint and some days earlier threw tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
“The bridge has been closed while we resolve the incident which we will do as quickly and as safely for all involved,” Essex Police mentioned.
“It does mean that we have had to close the bridge to traffic, but a diversion is going to be put in place through the tunnel.
“This is more likely to trigger delays all through this morning and this incident might take a while to resolve because of the complexities of safely getting folks down from peak.”
The bridge, which hyperlinks Essex and Kent, was shut after the report of climbers was acquired simply earlier than 3.50am.
The Dartford Crossing additionally consists of two tunnels and is notoriously busy, being the one technique to cross the Thames east of London by highway.
Engineer and protester Morgan Trowland, 39, launched a press release by Just Stop Oil.
“I can’t challenge this madness in my desk job, designing bridges, so I’m taking direct action, occupying the QE2 bridge until the government stops all new oil,” mentioned Mr Trowland.
Another protester, recognized solely as Marcus, 33, a instructor, mentioned: “Only direct action will now help to reach the social tipping point we so urgently need.”
Source: information.sky.com”