Refurbishment of the tunnels has been ongoing since 2010 and was due to finish in a year. The project has suffered severe delays and cost overruns that resulted in Dean & Dyball leaving the unfinished site in December last year. The council is now seeking a new contractor to facilitate the completion of the work and has announced that the work will be completed as quickly as possible.
However, local residents are unhappy about the condition of the tunnels and the fact that one set of lifts is still not working.According to local news, Tory councillor Spencer Drury has said the council’s management was "appalling". The local authority took over the management of the project after September 2011.
A council statement said: "The Royal Borough of Greenwich shares the frustration of pedestrians and cyclists over the time taken to
complete this project and, whilst both tunnels remain open, we apologise for the unacceptable delays to this work."
It added: "The council is now in the process of procuring a new contractor to complete the project and is taking legal advice from a
firm of specialist construction lawyers on the best route to recover the additional costs from the contractors."
The Greenwich foot tunnel links Cutty Sark to the Isle of Dogs while the tunnel in Woolwich connects to North Woolwich across the river. Both buildings date back to early 20th Century.
