Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 5 February 2026. It was answered by Simon Lightwood (Labour) on Wednesday, 11 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Lower Thames Crossing: Excavation

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of soil excavated as part of the Lower Thames Crossing construction will be a) re-used on site, b) recycled or c) disposed of off-site.

Answer: The Lower Thames Crossing project aims to reuse between 90% and 95% of the soil it excavates on site. This material will be used to create new public parks, embankments and earth bunds, helping to screen the route from the local community. The remaining material will be disposed of off-site. Details of how this material will be treated have not yet been determined; however, this information will be set out in the project’s Delivery Partners’ Site Waste and Materials Handling Plans, which, once completed and approved by the Secretary of State, will be published on the Lower Thames Crossing website.

Secondary information