Remembering a time without congestion at the Dartford Crossing seems like an impossible task.
And while the coronavirus lockdown means traffic on the infamous bridge is smoother than ever - we all know this can't and won't last forever.
If you cast your mind back far enough, some of us will remember a time when this quiet state was actually the normal.
And if you go back even further, there was a time when the QEII Bridge didn't even exist, when thousands of motorists were not as reliant on it as they are today.
The bridge, as iconic as it looks, forms a key route between Kent and Essex.
It also gets heavily congested most days, despite authorities removing the toll booths back in 2014 in a bid to combat gridlock traffic jams.
This small move has not made as much of an impact as expected, and by 2027, it is predicted a whopping 166,000 crossings will be made every day.
But there may be good news in the pipeline as new images of a £6billion plan to alleviate the demand on the Dartford Crossing were released last year.
The Lower Thames Crossing is a multi-billion pound project that will connect Kent and Thurrock, providing an alternative route for Dartford Crossing and Blackwall Tunnel users.
It would create Britain’s longest road tunnel, measuring 14.3 miles, and will almost double road capacity across the River Thames.
We take a look back at the crossing in construction at a time when pivotal plans to end Dartford Crossing woes takes a step forward.
The history of the Dartford Crossing
The idea of a tunnel crossing the Thames was first proposed by the Ministry of Transport in 1924.
Initial reports at the start of the year suggested a crossing between Tilbury and Gravesend, replacing a ferry service, but this had been rejected by July in favour of a route further upstream, near Dartford.
The total cost of building the tunnel had been estimated at £3 million (equivalent to £167 million in 2016).
The tunnel was planned to be part of a general orbital route around London and was provisionally known as part of the ‘South Orbital Road’.
Engineering work on the tunnel begins, before being disrupted by the outbreak of World War II three years later.
Construction resumes. The delay in work due to the war allowed the tunnel's design to be improved, which included a better ventilation system
Kent and Essex county councils obtained Government approval to charge tolls when the tunnel opens.
The toll was originally two shillings and sixpence, equivalent to 12.5p post-decimalisation, and about £2 in 2016.
The tunnel opened to traffic on Monday, November 18.
The total project cost was £13 million (equivalent to £237 million in 2016) and it initially served around 12,000 vehicles per day.
Plans for a second tunnel are announced, after traffic volumes through the tunnel reach more than 8 million a year. The second tunnel would be built in conjunction with the North Orbital Road, later to become the M25.
Plans for the second tunnel are approved in April 1974.
Funding for second tunnel agreed in 1974 with EEC contributing to cost.
The second tunnel opens to traffic in May, increasing capacity to 65,000 journeys a day.
Located just to the east of the original, the new tunnel takes southbound traffic from Essex into Kent, while the original tunnel takes traffic northbound from Kent into Essex.
The Essex side of the tunnel is liked with the newly built M25 at junction 31 in May.
The Kent side of the tunnel is linked with the newly built M25 at junction 1a in September. Daily traffic volumes are now 79,000
Construction starts on Queen Elizabeth II bridge by the Dartford River Crossing Limited.
This was a consortium of builder Trafalgar House (later Kvaerner), financiers Kleinwort Benson and Bank of America, and Prudential Insurance, who also finance the project and will operate the crossing for a fixed period.
The new bridge is opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 30 October. At the time of opening, it had the longest cable-stayed span of any bridge in Europe. It is the only bridge across the Thames east of central London to be opened since Tower Bridge in 1894.
It increases capacity to four lanes in each direction and 135,000 vehicles per day.
Toll payments to the bridge’s construction company ceases, and revenue reverts to the Government.
The toll becomes a road user charge to manage demand for the crossing, and is revenue ringfenced by law for transport.
Overnight crossing charges at the Dartford Crossing are removed.
Dart Charge is introduced at the Dartford Crossing, reducing a major source of congestion at the crossing.
Instead of stopping at a barrier to pay the crossing charge drivers pay online, by phone or post or in any of thousands of local shops across the country.
A consultation is held on proposals for a new Lower Thames Crossing.
The controversial £6 billion, 13-mile route connecting Kent to Essex is expected to open in less than ten years time
The new crossing would be made up of two tunnels, each made up of three lanes.
The tunnels will link the M25, near North Ockendon, Essex, with the A2 near Shorne, Kent, passing through greenbelt land.