National Highways Closes Dartford Crossing Tunnels for Maintenance

National Highways is managing a series of overnight closures at the Dartford Crossing from July 6 to July 12, 2026, to facilitate planned maintenance and emergency repairs. The schedule affects more than 180,000 vehicles that typically use the crossing daily.

The West Tunnel's northbound lane is closed from 9:00 pm until 5:30 am between July 6 and July 9, with slightly later start times on July 10 and 11. Simultaneously, the entry slip road at Junction 1A remains closed from July 6 through July 10. On the night of July 7, the southbound carriageway from Junction 1A to Junction 2 is shut from 10:00 pm to 5:30 am for emergency repairs.

The maintenance period concludes on July 12, when the East Tunnel closes from 10:30 pm to 5:30 am for vehicles exceeding 4.8 meters in height. National Highways and local authority networks are providing diversions to manage the affected traffic flow.