£9bn Thames tunnel faces axe amid fears over Tory infrastructure plans

Rishi Sunak failure to commit to HS2's northern leg has raised concerns about the future of several large-scale transport projects

The future of several prestige transport projects, including a planned 9bn road tunnel under the Thames, are in increasing doubt this weekend after prime minister Rishi Sunak failed to commit to building the northern section of the HS2 high-speed rail line to Manchester.

MPs and transport industry experts now believe that a number of other schemes, including the Lower Thames Crossing, intended to link Kent and Essex, as well as a new tunnel under the Stonehenge world heritage site, face more delays and may never be built as costs soar and political commitment wanes.