Critical safety maintenance work will replace joints on slip roads to the Westway structures, between the Wood Lane and Marylebone flyovers
- The work will require slip road and directional road closures from Sunday until mid-October
- Though closures have been carefully planned to minimise disruption as much as possible, diversion routes are expected to be extremely busy
- The road is one of the main routes into London and the work will ensure it remains safe and reliable for decades to come
- Further phases of vital work are currently being planned for later this year and coming years
Transport for London (TfL) is reminding drivers and others travelling in west London of critical safety maintenance work on the A40 from 22:00 on Sunday 21 July. TfL is working closely with its partners to minimise disruption.
TfL is responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of London's network of red routes, including the A40 Westway - one of London's busiest roads, carrying around 90,000 vehicles a day. The structures which carry the Wood Lane flyover to the Marylebone flyover date back to 1969 and are reaching the end of their serviceable life, meaning that they require safety critical maintenance to ensure they remain safe and can continue to serve Londoners for decades to come.
From Sunday 21 July, TfL will be replacing four joints which provide support to slip roads to the A40, as part of an ongoing programme of improvement work to the road network in the area. Road closures are essential for this work to take place and have been timed to minimise disruption as much as possible, with the most impactful works undertaken during the summer holiday period, when traffic flows on red routes are up to seven per cent lower, with 20 per cent less traffic in central London.
This work will be undertaken in two separate phases:
- From 22:00 on Sunday 21 July to Thursday 22 August 2024, the eastbound slip road from the Westway Roundabout and the A3220 West Cross Route southbound between the Westway Roundabout and the Holland Park Roundabout will be closed to all traffic
- From Monday 2 September to mid-October 2024, the westbound on slip from the A3220 West Cross Route to the A40 Westway via the Westway Roundabout will be closed. The A3220 West Cross Route from Holland Park Roundabout to the Westway Roundabout will also be closed to northbound traffic
TfL is advising people that the A40 on approach to Wood Lane, diversion routes and local roads are expected to be extremely busy and that people should plan ahead, using alternative routes or transport modes where possible. Full travel advice is available on the TfL website at tfl.gov.uk/westway.
TfL is also working closely with partners across London to ensure all work taking place on the road network this summer is co-ordinated as effectively as possible. This includes rescheduling other major works wherever possible and co-ordinating closely with the freight industry to ensure awareness of the closures. Work will be paused during the Notting Hill Carnival as part of TfL's work to minimise disruption.
TfL will be putting a comprehensive traffic signal strategy in place to try and keep traffic moving as smoothly as possible. This will be continually reviewed as part of our ongoing management of the road network.
Stuart Harvey, TfL's Chief Capital Officer, said: "We're determined to ensure a safe and well-maintained road network can play a full role in enabling Londoners to travel across the capital. These ageing 1960s structures are reaching the end of their serviceable life and road closures are essential if we are to ensure they can continue to serve Londoners for decades to come. We recognise that these closures will have a significant impact on people travelling in the area and are working hard to minimise disruption as much as possible, including by rescheduling other work and reviewing traffic signals. I'd like to thank people in the area for their patience and would encourage everyone to plan ahead for any journeys in the area."
The removal of TfL's Government operational grant in 2017/18, followed by the pandemic and a prolonged lack of certainty over Government financial support, had a severe impact on the investment available for refurbishment and maintenance work on London's road network. This has created a backlog of billions of pounds of maintenance works, requiring many years of sustained investment to address and ensure that the road network remains in good order. While TfL still lacks certainty over capital funding beyond 2024/25, tough decisions and work to reduce costs at TfL have enabled it steadily increase investment over the coming years, including along the A40.