Vital road works to be carried out over the festive period to reduce traffic impact
• Road modernisation work will continue during the Christmas break
• It will be carried out at a time when the roads are up to 20 per cent quieter to help reduce the impact on traffic
• Work on the A406 at Neasden will be suspended to help drivers
Transport for London (TfL) will continue to work on its £4bn Road Modernisation Plan over the Christmas and New Year period to get vital road improvement work completed as quickly as possible and reduce impact on traffic.
Major road modernisation will be taking place in and around central London at a time when traffic levels are up 20 per cent quieter. This will significantly reduce the overall impact they have to motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, those making deliveries and local businesses.
Meanwhile, the bridge refurbishment works on the A406 in Neasden will be suspended during this time to allow one of the busiest roads in the southeast to be fully open for drivers. The works, which are to extend the lifespan of the bridge, will resume again on January 9.
Garrett Emmerson, Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport at TfL, said: “While the festive period is a busy time in many homes, it is the opposite on central London’s roads – traffic falls by as much as 20 per cent. That’s why we are making sure engineers are out on the roads completing some of the most intensive elements of the Road Modernisation Plan. This will reduce the impact of these improvements and get them finished as quickly as possible.”
“But at the same time, we know how important the A406 is to join up family and friends over the holidays, so we’ve temporarily stopped works here and fully reopened the road, returning to complete this essential work in the new year.”
Drivers are advised to check before they travel and take alternative routes where possible in areas where work will continue over the holidays, as well as allow extra time to complete their journeys.
Significant improvement work includes:
• Cycle Superhighway 1: Work will take place at the Old Street/Great Eastern Street junction in Shoreditch.
• Cycle Superhighway 2: Work will take place along the A11 between Mansell Street and Osborn Street and at the Fairfield Road/Bow Road junction.
• Cycle Superhighway East-West: Work will take place on Victoria Embankment, Upper Thames Street and Tower Hill.
• Cycle Superhighway North-South: Work will take place on Blackfriars Road between Southwark Street and Stamford Street.
• Elephant and Castle: Work will take place on Newington Causeway.
• Stockwell: Work will take place at the Clapham Road/Stockwell Road junction.
• A406 Neasden bridge refurbishments: Work suspended and will resume on 9 January 2016.
Drivers and cyclists are advised to regularly check before they travel by visiting www.tfl.gov.uk/trafficnews or following @TflTrafficNews. Bus users can find out how their bus might be affected by going to www.tfl.go.uk/bus/status or following @tflbusalerts
Some roads and bridges in central London will be closed from Thursday 31 December 14:00 until Friday 1 January 18:00 or until it is safe to reopen to facilitate the New Year’s celebrations and fireworks. For more information visit www.tfl.gov.uk/festive.
TfL is ensuring that it keeps London moving while its unprecedented programme of improvements to the Capital’s roads is delivered. The use of technology such as SCOOT, proven to reduce delays by up to 12 per cent, is being expanded across London to keep traffic moving. Up-to-the-minute traffic information is provided via digital road signs, TfL’s traffic status page and TfL’s Twitter feeds. TfL also has the ability to control temporary traffic lights from its central traffic control centre, to help further ease traffic and minimise disruption and a new team of enforcement officers will be out at key roads and congestion areas to keep traffic moving.
