The Rotherhithe Tunnel, designated the A101, is a road tunnel under the River Thames in East London, connecting Limehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets north of the river to Rotherhithe in the London Borough of Southwark south of the river. It was formally opened in 1908 by George, Prince of Wales (later King George V), and Richard Robinson, Chairman of the London County Council. It is a rare example of a road tunnel where road traffic, pedestrians and cyclists all share the same tunnel bore. Transport for London took over ownership and maintenance of the tunnel in 2001. It should not be confused with the nearby earlier Thames Tunnel, designed and built under the supervision of Marc Isambard Brunel and his son Isambard Kingdom Brunel, used by London Overground for the East London Line. Construction Following the success of the Blackwall Tunnel, opened in 1897, the London County Council (LCC) decided to construct another toll-free road crossing of the River Thames located in the heart of the then flourishing London Docks, midway between Tower Bridge and the Blackwall Tunnel. When originally opened the route served the Surrey Commercial Docks on the south side and Limehouse and West India Docks on the north side. The tunnel was authorised by the Thames Tunnel (Rotherhithe and Ratcliff) Act 1900. Designed by Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice, the engineer for LCC, it copied closely the Blackwall Tunnel; however it is of larger diameter. At the time of its construction, the tunnel was said to be "the largest subaqueous tunnel in existence". The tunnel's construction, especially the long approach ramps, displaced nearly 3,000 local residents and generated considerable local opposition. In 1903, the LCC built new tenement blocks in Swan Lane (now Swan Road), Clarence Street and Albion Street in Rotherhithe and Brightlingsea Buildings on Ropemaker's Field in Limehouse. These blocks had more modern facilities but the rents charged were significantly higher and many soon moved out of the area. The tunnel was constructed between 1904 and 1908 by resident engineer Edward H. Tabor and contractors Price and Reeves, at a cost of about £1 million (equivalent to around £ in ). It was excavated partly using a tunnelling shield and partly by cut-and-cover. Two tunnelling shields were employed. The first was used in the very challenging and difficult ground conditions encountered on the south side and under river sections, whilst a second lighter, shorter