Britain gave the green light on Tuesday to a new 10-billion-pound ($13 billion) road tunnel for the River Thames in southeast England, in its latest backing for an infrastructure project to help revive a sluggish economy.

A £9bn road crossing between Kent and Essex has been given the go-ahead by the government. The Planning Inspectorate confirmed on Tuesday that transport secretary Heidi Alexander has approved a development consent order application by National Highways for the 14.

The proposed £9 billion Lower Thames Crossing between Essex and Kent has been approved by the government and could run in the early 2030s.