Hammersmith Flyover Closure
All Fairly Quiet on the Western Front
Traffic chaos much less that expected and flyover works may now be finished ahead of schedule
The
log jam that many had predicted for West London failed to materialise
this week despite the closure of the Hammersmith Flyover.
On Monday, the first working day of the closure there was very little noticeable increase in traffic and for much of the day traffic flowed freely around the Hammersmith gyratory.
There was an increase in congestion on Tuesday as motorists returned to their cars anticipating an easier run in but the tail backs were not longer than most Londoners have become used to. The roads up to Hammersmith Bridge and Kew Bridge have seen longer queues than normal and Chiswick High Road has become severly congested in the morning rush hour.
A heavy presence of police and Community Support Officers in Hammersmith has kept traffic flowing in that area.
Chris Calvi-Freeman, Head of Transport at Hounslow Council said on Monday, "It would appear that most motorists got the message and used a completely different route, took the tube, worked from home, or disappeared to France."
The A40 has been much busier than normal as motorists followed advice to use that as an alternative route.
The fine weather has meant that the planned works can proceed quickly and the latest estimate is that it could be completed early next week.
August 22, 2003
West London braced for Traffic Chaos