Four possible designs for the proposed Thames Gateway Bridge have been unveiled. They all envisage six lanes of traffic, with four reserved for cars. The Thames is almost half a mile wide at this location, and it is proposed that the bridge would be around 160ft high so that ships could pass underneath it. But because the site is under the flight paths into the nearby London City Airport, a suspension bridge has been ruled out.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "Our last poll indicated that 80 per cent of people in East London would like this bridge built, with just three per cent opposed. The bridge will make it far easier for people in east London to access jobs and homes on both sides of the river and give a much needed boost to the local economy."

The final decision on approving powers allowing the bridge to be built would be made by the Secretary of State for Transport or Parliament, so it is unlikely that London will have its new Thames crossing before the end of this decade.