The Bridge East London campaign was launched by shadow minister for infrastructure, Lord Andrew Adonis; the Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales; the chief commercial officer for City Airport, Matthew Hall; and LCCI chief executive, Colin Stanbridge.
The speakers were joined by representatives from leading businesses based in east London, who signed a giant letter to the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, asking him to commit to a road river crossing between Beckton and Thamesmead at Gallions Reach.
LCCI is organising a petition to the Mayor, which can be signed on the LCCI website. A Twitter campaign under the hashtag #bridgeeastlondon has also been launched, aiming to appeal to businesses and individuals frustrated with the current lack of fixed river crossings.
LCCI said that a bridge at Gallions Reach has the greatest potential to both ease traffic congestion on either side of the river as it will use different approach roads to the Blackwall Tunnel and also unlock land for much needed housing development.
Lord Adonis said: "I have met almost no one who is against a bridge being built. People realise it will be transformational for east London. We need to get it on the agenda as something that is going to happen, not just have more consultations. What have we done in the last two generations to supplement the work of the great Victorians? We have three times proposed a bridge in east London and three times cancelled it. This is a no-brainer in political terms - we should just get on and do it."
The campaign launches only days after the House of Commons Transport Select Committee announced that, following lobbying from LCCI, one of the three new inquiries that it will undertake in 2014 will be on strategic river crossings.
