Limehouse Link Tunnel By Accident

Having just left a Cycle Super Highway at the end of Cable Street and not being familiar with my surroundings I accidentally commited myself to cycling through the Limehouse Link Tunnel, as there were no signs on the approaching road to give advance warning until you have turned left and by that point you will have plenty of vehicular traffic on your back wheel, so I felt there was no turning back. For those more familiar with the area I'm sure this is not a problem and honestly, this is not a mistake a care to make again so I have taken note of where this road goes!

Anyway, speed is limited to 30 mph in the tunnel and strongly enforced by digital average speed cameras and the lanes are pretty wide. It's a decent drop on the way in and I found that I had to back off a bit to leave reasonable space to the van ahead who had just overtaken and then realised they were getting too close to the speed limit for comfort.

Clearly though the way out of the tunnel is all uphill and I was lucky that traffic was so light that evening that it didn't present a problem. As said earlier, I won't be riding my bike there again! However, as it was a pleasant evening, you get a nice view of the Canary Wharf buildings, the DLR and Billngsgate Fish Market.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Limehouse
• Link
• Tunnel
• By
• Accident
• Canary
• Wharf
• DLR
• Billingsgate
• Fish
• Market

[kylesw555]

You would've got to the exact same place continuing on the road that you came from before the road where you did the left turn into the Limehouse Link (A13) :P.

What made you decide not to come out into Canary Wharf and continue at street level? I would've been so nervous that I would've wanted to come out ASAP.

[kmcyc]

@kylesw555

Easy to say that after the event. At the time I was disoriented and wasn't entirely certain where I was - until I made that left and saw the tunnel before me that is. By which point I felt it was too late to do anything about it except carry on.

Why did I follow it the whole way? Two reasons I guess: 1, I'm more familiar with that route and 2, my speed and the light traffic gave me the confidence to follow things through. Had it been any busier I may have thought otherwise.

[paulweller84]

At 1:48 it looks like there is something in the middle of the road, any ideas what that is?

[kmcyc]

@paulweller84

Yes, it was the remains of an empty cardboard box.

[rabbithog]

that tunnell was a major piece of constructional development in the 1990s, i was their C/O J MURPHY & SONS,

[AngloPatriot]

I have gone through here on a bicycle also..i bricked it and got onto the small pavement and walked the bike uphill...motorists were swearing at me and an alarm went off, anyone else heard it?

[NeoSkogmus]

it said "NO Cycles Animals Pedestrians in TUNNEL" on a sign :D

[kmcyc]

@NWLondonerCyclist

Yeah good question. Still at least I know not to cycle that way again! Entrance wasn't bad but the exit had a lot going on and uphill like that meant there was no way I could keep pace with motorists. I was lucky it was not busy and I know it. So this is the warning for all others! :)

[NWLondonerCyclist]

@kmcyc Ahh that explains it. Why the f*ck would they remove an important bit of info like that?? The exit from the tunnel looks like the worst part. Busy up hill section with slip road joining :-0

[kmcyc]

@kmcyc

Said video evidence is available under the title: "Approaching The Approach To The Limehouse Link Tunnel From Cable Street"