Matthew has taken to the Thames to see for himself the progress of the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

Aboard the Tideway boat, Matthew viewed various sites along the Thames to discover how the £4.2 billion Tideway project is developing and how construction of the tunnel will affect London’s economy, waterways, environment and residents.

London’s Victorian sewer system is no longer fit for purpose and the Tideway project is to deliver a 25 kilometre sewer tunnel to prevent an average 20 million tonnes of untreated sewage discharging into the River Thames each year.

Not only will the Tideway Tunnel benefit the environment, ecology and appearance of the Thames but it will provide an economic boost by creating thousands of skilled jobs and hundreds of apprenticeships. As the largest infrastructure project the UK water industry has ever undertaken, the Tideway Tunnel aims to create a legacy of sustainable jobs and a sustainable environment.

Matthew said: “Preventing millions of tonnes of sewage from discharging into the Thames each year will transform the river - London’s largest public open space - and I was pleased to see how Tideway are working to make this a reality.

“During my visit to some of the construction sites on the river, it was clear that the Thames Tideway Tunnel will not only help to address this important health and environmental issue, but it will also leave a hugely important legacy for our city.”