London region

London region

Targeted programme of improvements

It was announced in July 1997 that the A13 Thames Gateway Design Build Finance and Operate (DBFO) project had been given the go-ahead to provide the transport infrastructure needed for regeneration of East London and Docklands. Tender invitations for the DBFO project will be invited shortly. This will include improvement of the road between Ironbridge and Canning Town, junction improvements at Woolwich Manor Way and Movers Lane and a tender for an improvement at the junction with Prince Regent Lane.

Following the decision not to proceed with the major A40 junction schemes at Gypsy Corner and Western Circus, an integrated package of traffic management, bridge strengthening and more modest junction improvements is being developed. The package will assist the movement of people and goods along and across the A40, help increase the reliability of bus services, protect residential areas from through traffic and assist the regeneration of the Park Royal area by providing improved access arrangements.

The following further scheme has now been added to the targeted programme of improvements:

A23 Coulsdon Inner Relief Road Will provide a safer and healthier environment by removing 80% of traffic from the town centre.

Schemes associated with development

The following schemes will be taken forward subject to agreement with the developers concerned:

M4 Junction 3-4B Widening
M25 Terminal 5 Spur Road
M41 Development Access
A102(M) Millennium

Smaller scale measures

The following scheme is being withdrawn from the national trunk road programme and it is proposed to assess whether traffic management measures would provide a worthwhile, more immediate, alternative:

• A4 Henleys/Waggoners Corner Improvement

Transport system

It was explained in Chapter 2 that the new Greater London Authority to be set up in 2000 will have responsibility for the strategic road network in London. It will become the highway authority for all existing trunk roads within Greater London apart from the M1, M4, M11 and M25. It may also become highway authority for a number of existing borough roads; the Government is consulting on this. As part of this review, therefore, it has been necessary to decide which improvement schemes can proceed without compromising the development of the Greater London Authoritys integrated transport strategy.

Within London the response to What role for trunk roads in England? was relatively limited. There was support for the A23 Coulsdon Inner Relief Road. There were calls for the cancellation of the A406 Bounds Green to Green Lanes Improvement. Business interests and others in the Park Royal area and beyond asked for the reinstatement of the previously proposed improvements to the A40 junctions at Gypsy Corner and Western Circus. These were dropped in July 1997 because it was considered they would have the effect of encouraging car commuting where public transport alternatives exist.

As a result of the review the decisions taken with regard to trunk roads within Greater London are set out below.

Decisions for the greater london authority

The A406 North Circular Road will be a key route in the strategic road network to come under the control of the Greater London Authority. The Authority will wish to study the role of the road as part of the development of its integrated transport strategy for London. The Government Office for London will initiate preliminary analysis to support such a study and to assess the merits of more immediate traffic management measures. In the meantime the following proposed A406 schemes are being withdrawn from the national trunk road programme.

• A406 Bounds Green Green Lanes Improvement
• A406/A1/A598 Regents Park Road Junction Improvement
• A406 Golders Green Road Junction Improvement

In addition, the following scheme is also being withdrawn from the national programme:

A205 Catford Town Centre Improvement