King's Road Reopens Two Weeks Early on Eastern Edge of Fulham


National Grid's gas mains project will now continue in Parsons Green

This section of the road has been closed to westbound traffic for most of 2016, causing delays and diversions for motorists and local buses.

Engineers have been replacing three large metal gas mains with tough new pipes which will help ensure gas supplies keep on being supplied to local residents virtually unnoticed beneath roads and footpaths.

National Grid says it used innovative technology to insert the new pipes into the old mains. This reduced the amount of digging and meant the work is carried out faster. 

National Grid Engineering Manager Stuart Donaldson says: "I would like to thank the local community for working with us and for their patience throughout the project. Opening the road ahead of schedule was always our goal and I am grateful to everyone involved in the project for their help in achieving this.

"We’ve worked to carefully plan our work with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Transport for London and have met regularly with Councillors, businesses and residents."

He adds: " We’re carrying out vital work to replace and upgrade ageing gas mains so we can continue to provide a safe and reliable gas supply for the local area and support London’s economic growth."

Some work in the road is still taking place but the closure was finally lifted on September 16.

National Grid says the project is part of a £1 billion investment to replace and upgrade the London gas supply network which provides a safe and reliable gas supply to more than two million customers.

National Grid's work now moves west to Parsons Green, with the northbound lane on Parsons Green Lane to be closed and gas mains works carried out on New King's Road.

Residents are being advised to plan ahead to avoid congestion as Vodafone and Thames Water are alsol undertaking maintenance works that will require traffic management

The series of works are scheduled to finish in January 2017.

This new phase of works by National Grid will require the closure of Parsons Green Lane northbound to replace a gas mains pipe. National Grid has also identified two gas mains on New King's Road which it intends to replace in October, using temporary traffic lights.

Parsons Green Lane will be closed northbound from October 17 to December 9 from New King’s Road to the railway bridge, then from the railway bridge to Fulham Road in January.

Residents have been sent letters by National Grid to notify them of the work. For more information, or to register a complaint, call them on 0800 096 5678.

You can also find out more about these works at National Grid's website Better Gas Pipes and London Gas Mains.

People can also contact the project Community Relations Team on 0800 389 8261 or nationalgrid@londongasmains.co.uk

On Wandsworth Bridge Road meanwhile, Thames Water works will require two-way traffic lights and full closure at three individual sites along the road on 26 September 26, October 3 and October 10.

On October 17, resurfacing works will begin on Wandsworth Bridge Road. This work will require a full road closure for eight nights, from 9pm until 5am.

H&F Council says the works have been grouped to minimise disruption to residents and motorists, by sharing road closures.

The council has also announced that a new road layout to make crossing New King's Road safer for local families is scheduled to be ready before the end of the year.

The improvements will include a dedicated pedestrian crossing with an ‘all red’ phase, so that no vehicles are moving while people cross. There will also be a countdown timer, so pedestrians know how much time they have to cross.

Existing traffic refuges in the centre of the road will be widened and the pedestrian crossing near the junction of New King’s Road and Peterborough Road will be upgraded.

This crossing is close to four primary schools, Sulivan, Thomas' Academy, Fulham Bilingual and Holy Cross as well as Lady Margaret Secondary.

" This administration is determined to put the safety of residents first, including pedestrians, motorists and cyclists," says Cllr Wesley Harcourt, H&F Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Residents' Services.

"We regularly speak to residents about how to make our roads safer, and concerns were raised about the lack of a dedicated pedestrian crossing in this area, which is near several schools and sees a lot of foot traffic."

 

September 20, 2016