UK’s public spending watchdog to investigate Lower Thames Crossing project

Exclusive: Campaigners voice concerns over rising costs of £11bn Essex to Kent road tunnel The UK’s public spending watchdog has said it plans to investigate the Lower Thames Crossing, as campaigners voice concerns over the rising costs of one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects. The head of the National Audit Office (NAO) said he anticipated the agency would “examine and report” on the planned £11bn road tunnel between Kent and Essex, and that work to monitor the project had already started. In a letter to campaigners opposed to the project who have been calling for an investigation, the NAO’s head, Gareth Davies, said: “I anticipate that I will examine and report on the Lower Thames Crossing. My teams are tracking activity on the programme. This will inform my decision on the right timing for audit work.” Ministers committed this month to plough ahead with the controversial and long-delayed project, after it was spared from billions of pounds in cuts to infrastructure projects earmarked by Keir Starmer to help make way for a £15bn increase in defence spending. It emerged last month that £174m of additional public money was being made available for the sc