Urgent solutions needed to reopen flyover

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Urgent solutions needed to re-open flyover

Thursday December 29, 2011

Hammersmith & Fulham Council is today demanding that London’s transport chiefs re-open Hammersmith Flyover as quickly as possible and offer practical alternatives in the meantime.

Transport for London closed the flyover on the A4 on December 23 with no advance warning, saying that ‘a serious structural defect’ meant it had to be shut to traffic. The closure, which came after several weeks of TfL inspecting the structure, has left motorists stuck in long tailbacks and caused traffic jams across west London over the past week.

H&F Council is calling for a full explanation into why TfL has closed the section of road and when it will be reopened. All TfL will currently say is that the flyover will be closed while engineers ‘undertake an even more detailed assessment of the complete structure’ until at least early January - including the New Year weekend when many motorists will be returning to London after the festive break.

Deputy leader of the council, Cllr Nick Botterill, says: “We want to get to the bottom of what is happening, as it is simply inconceivable that the main route into and out of London in the west remains closed and may not even reopen in time for the end of the holidays.

“We are in continuous contact with TfL’s most senior officials, as well as the engineers on the ground, and are demanding that we get real answers to our questions about what is happening, why the closure is necessary and when this problem will be solved. We have written to the Secretary of State for Transport and the Mayor of London about this, and Peter Hendy, commissioner of Transport for London, has already agreed to meet us early next week to explain what the problem is and how it will be resolved. We need action - and quickly.

“The closure is a disaster for local residents, motorists and the borough’s economy, and this council will do everything in its power to mitigate any further adverse impact a continued closure will have.”

Cllr Botterill has also demanded that TfL keeps officers and the council cabinet briefed on the situation as and when it changes.

Over the past two years, engineers from TfL have been carrying out detailed monitoring inside the unique 1960s flyover, in particular, checking the condition of the internal cables which help to hold the concrete structure in place.

It was thought that it would be a number of years before major repair works would be needed but last week, TfL identified further technical problems, meaning that the works are needed sooner rather than later.

Leon Daniels, TfL's managing director of surface transport, says: “Our team has been working around the clock alongside world leading structural engineers to ensure we carry out a detailed assessment of the structure as soon as possible.  Safety must be our top priority and we have not taken the decision to close the flyover lightly.

“We will be continuing to work day and night to complete our assessment and to set out our next steps. In the meantime the flyover will remain closed until at least early in the New Year and drivers are strongly advised to avoid the area if they can or allow more time for their journeys.

“I would like to apologise for the disruption, but please be assured we are doing all we can to reopen the flyover and to minimise the disruption the closure is causing.”

TfL has put in place diversions and advance warning signs, including on the M4, advising drivers of the closure and suggesting alternative routes.  

For more information, read Transport for London’s article (opens new window).

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On behalf of all residents that live within close proximity to the Hammersmith Fly-over. I would like to say we are delighted by the closure as we have suffered years of noise and air polution and I feel has destroyed the church, resident and Apollo community areas and urge those responsible to demolish the structure and make amendments to hammersmith broadway for extra flow of traffic as i belive this would be better for Hammersmith residents and for London.
From john thomas on 07/01/2012 at 14:53
Why does it take so long? I do not understand why we have cones and no workers, where are the people who should be maintaining the roads? I never seem to see anyone working. Loads of roadworks, millions of cones and no workmen, what is going on?
From Debra Alldis on 07/01/2012 at 03:51
Water has been dripping from the underside of the flyover for at least three years (I live close by). I even reported one instance myself to TfL. And there are flakes of cement falling off the underside.

TfL structural engineers have been hoping for several years that the corrosion and the rupture of some of the steel rods which they could see at the inspection points was not as widespread as their own knowledge of early - and inferior - techniques using pre-stressed concrete would logically force them to admit. In order words they have been burying their heads in the sand and ignoring the evidence! Think what is at stake: the construction is fundamentally flawed and will have to be replaced. The flyover cost 1.3 million to build in 1962. It will cost 100 or 200 times that amount to take down the old structure and rebuild it properly..... Construction on that scale would disrupt the whole of west London (in 2012, Olympic year?!) and it would take a year or longer to build. This is not a decision for the faint-hearted!

The cheapest option might be to just keep the flyover shut until after the Olympics, force everyone onto the M40 and M25 and start re-building afterwards.
From Una Hodgkins on 04/01/2012 at 13:56
What on earth is all Cllr Boterill's hyperbole and chest-beating all about? The public information from TfL appears to be quite open and honest so I imagine that if there are no complete answers with him yet then that means there there aren't any worked up, no matter how much or how loudly he "demands" them. Structural engineering repair of that sort is highly complicated stuff and it will take time to fully assess the best way to address it. So the arterial route is cut off? Just goes to show how society in general derides civil engineering maintenance, replacement and upgrading. If you're not convinced then take a look at those that protest loudly at works to avoid the same sort of forward-thinking for the water, sewerage and underground transport systems. Shutdown is what you get when the protests against noise and disruption succeed in constraining infrastructure work. Enjoy their victory.
From Pauline on 03/01/2012 at 14:43
It is all very well advising people to avoid the Hammersmith flyover area but it would be helpful to publicise the alternative routes, rather than leave people to follow the signage in situ. I need to travel west tomorrow on the M4 tomorrow and want to know how wide a bert I need to steer. Am I best advised to leave town on the A40 and link to the M4 via the M25 or is there a closer alternative route? The total lack of information on your website (and TFL''s site)is most unhelpful.
From W14resident on 01/01/2012 at 18:54
Unbelievable that TfL haven''t even begun the work despite closing the flyover for the whole Christmas period. It caused enough congestion then, what will it be like when everyone is back at work? I''m not looking forward to the commute. TfL should be working non-stop to get this vital route opened as soon as possible.
From Laura on 01/01/2012 at 13:26
The Flyover closure has been bad enought this week - next week is going to be a nightmare with offices/schools etc re-opening after the Xmas break. Advising motorists of "alternative" routes isn''t really going to solve much - and what about those who will be travelling by bus? If it hasn''t been done already, then traffic HAS to be allowed to use those ''hatched/red'' lanes on the slip roads either side of the Flyover -it would be sheer madness not to!
From Alex on 31/12/2011 at 00:54
TFL have done nothing to assist in traffic flowing through hammersmith broadway while the flyover is closed. If you are going west (out of London) the 3 lanes of the A4 squeeze down to ONE lane at the bottom of the slip road, because of large concrete blocks in the way. The least they could have done is moved these to allow more traffic through. As for 24hr working on the problem - I passed through at 6am three days running in the last few days and saw nothing, not a light, not a van, not a person - its all bull. Unless its about to fall down,ss a minimum, the flyover should be opened down to single lane both ways and restricted to cars only. HGV should be made to use the gyratory and the gyratory traffic lights rephased to allow better flow. Come on H&F/TFL pull your finger out - get organised, dont wait til its chaos!
From Robonline on 30/12/2011 at 17:32
Have you seen the Chronicle''s report from a "whistleblower", saying effectively that the flyover could crumble at any moment? The whistleblower seemed to speak with the authority of a civil engineer.

It seems amazing that, given that this will be the main road from Heathrow to central London, TfL did not assess the condition of the flyover as soon as it was known that London had won the bid for the Olympics. I can remember engineers inspecting the inside of the flyover from time to time at least 3 years ago but no one seemed unduly worried... It''s a bit late now to decide that we need to replace it with only 7 months to go to the Games?! Or we could ask for a magic carpet over the Broadway? Or tell everyone to use the Piccadilly line!!
From Una Hodgkins on 29/12/2011 at 19:47

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