Putney Bridge Roadworks Expected to End Ahead of Schedule
Council says it has taken steps to ease traffic flow
Good progress has meant project could end 'slightly' early . Picture: Putney Conservatives
October 17, 2024
Wandsworth Council has said that the roadworks south of Putney Bridge are now expected to be completed ‘slightly’ ahead of schedule.
Although no date is given, it has indicated that the majority of the most disruptive part of the works is now completed and the project should be over earlier in December. Originally the works were scheduled to continue right up to the Christmas holidays.
The most disruptive works for traffic flows were planned to take place over night, with four nights carried out so far and a further two due over the coming weeks.
Following completion of a stage of works, a lane has been reopened on the Lower Richmond Road which was previously reduced to just one lane.
More signs have been put on the bridge to allow car drivers to get in the correct lane sooner, rather than needing to do last minute merges. The council says that, as drivers have got used to the new layout, the traffic monitoring has seen improvements in congestion and journey times across the junction.
Council officers have stated that the temporary signals on site at present are the most effective system on the market and are linked to TfL’s Urban Control Centre, which enables them to adjust signal timings to keep traffic moving efficiently in real-time.
The work will upgrade the traffic signals across the junction, which, it is hoped, will make the area safer for all road users. A key element of the project is an attempt to streamline the pedestrian routes, making it quicker and easier to navigate the junction on foot.
The council says that the removal of the pedestrian islands means people aree able to cross in fewer ‘stages’ – reducing the amount of time needed to cross and reducing instances of people being tempted to cross while on a red man signal.
Councillor Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport, said, “We know that Putney Bridge is a really busy part of our borough, and completing any kind of roadworks here is extremely challenging. However, the works desperately needed completing, and we have worked closely with TfL to plan the traffic management, and minimise disruption as much as possible.
“In response to your questions and suggestions, we’ve taken several steps since the week commencing 7 October to ease traffic flow as much as possible. This includes reopening a lane of traffic, planning more Sunday working and working at night where possible, but we have to balance getting the work done as fast as possible whilst not causing too much disruption to residents overnight, as some of the works can be very noisy.
“Of course we are really sorry about disruption caused to residents and I am so appreciative of their patience as we complete this essential work.”
She added, “Work has progressed well on site, and we remain slightly ahead of schedule. We’ve got the maximum number of workers on site that’s safe given the constrained working area and they’re doing 7am-7pm on weekdays plus 8am-6pm on Saturdays. Sunday working is more restricted due to permissible working hours but whenever it is beneficial to do so, it will take place.”
Following feedback regarding bus services the Council has liaised with TfL to reopen the bus stops at the northern side of Putney Bridge.
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