Negotiations to take a section of one of the capital’s most heavily-congested roads underground are ongoing, as the tally of crashes continues to rise.

Barking and Dagenham Council wants to see the A13 tunnelled for a mile between Lodge Avenue and Gale Street and is in talks with the Greater London Authority (GLA).

A council spokesman confirmed discussions had been taking place with TfL, the GLA and neighbouring boroughs.

He said: “We are in the early stages, however, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ease crippling congestion along one of London’s major roads and build thousands of homes for local people and Londoners.”

A Toyota Prius mounted a barrier at the Lodge Avenue flyover on Monday – the ninth crash on the road in little more than two weeks.