The mayor and Transport for London (TfL) have been considering what key road arteries could be buried in tunnels or raised onto fly-overs to ease congestion and improve the urban landscape. More than 70 locations have been assessed and five have now been put forward for further studies.
The plans were announced during a visit by Boris Johnson to the US city of Boston, whose Big Dig project buried the city’s six-lane elevated Central Artery in a 3.5-mile eight-lane tunnel. What began as a $2.8bn project when construction started in 1991 ended up costing more than $24bn by completion in 2006, including financing costs.
However, plans for London are rather more localised and lower key than what Boston went through. There is no suggestion that a three-mile motorway will be built under the West End and the City. Besides, it would take a 7.5 mile tunnel to get from Earls Court to Limehouse.
The five locations in London that have been identified as suitable for further feasibility work by TfL are:
- A mini tunnel at the A13 in Barking Riverside
- Decking of the A3 in Tolworth
- A fly-under at the A316 at Chalkers Corner
- A fly-under at the A4 in Hammersmith
- Decking or a mini-tunnel at the A406 in New Southgate.
TfL will now work with local boroughs to progress these proposals further, including working up more detailed costs and possible funding options and an indicative programme of delivery if funding can be secured. This further analysis will be presented to the Mayor in May.
As he has previously set out in the 2050 Infrastructure Plan, the mayor reckons that a replacement inner ring road for London, in the form of an inner orbital tunnel or two cross city tunnels, could improve traffic flow.
Mr Johnson said: “Rebuilding some of our complex and aging road network underneath our city would not only provide additional capacity for traffic, but it would also unlock surface space and reduce the impact of noise and pollution. I am inspired by what the ambitious people of Boston have achieved here at the Big Dig, both in terms of reducing congestion and how they have dramatically improved the quality of life on the surface. In London we face similar challenges on our roads, but this could also be a fantastic opportunity to better shape our city and support economic growth.”
Pictured below are what the A3 at Tolworth currently looks like and what it could be like if sunk underground.
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