Rush hour queues on A12 and A13 as Blackwall tunnel closes following collision

The Blackwall tunnel is closed southbound following a collision between a lorry and a motorbike.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed that the incident took place around 4.20pm today and that an ambulance was at the scene. The biker, a man in his 30s, has been taken to hospital with a serious leg injury.

Drivers heading towards the tunnel are currently experiencing queues on the A12 past the Old Ford interchange and on the A13 past the Canning Town flyover.

They are being encouraged to take alternative routes and use other river crossing options - either the Woolwich ferry, the Rotherhithe tunnel or the M25 Dartford crossing.

However, the Woolwich ferry is only running a one-boat service today due to a technical defect.

Transport for London has confirmed that the 108 bus is running a split service from Canning Town to Stratford and again from North Greenwich to Lewisham, with bus tickets accepted on the Jubilee line between Stratford and North Greenwich.

Buses serving the Poplar, Limehouse, Canning Town and Bow areas are delayed, with bus passes accepted on the DLR and on the Jubilee line between North Greenwich and Stratford.

Traffic is also slow on the tunnel’s northbound approach, with queues extending towards the Sun in the Sands roundabout, the junction with the A2.