Transport for London has begun design work on making east Greenwich’s notorious Woolwich Road roundabout safer – and will start consulting on plans for a cycle superhighway between Greenwich and Woolwich next year.

Mayor Sadiq Khan has told London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon that work has begun on redesigning the junction, which has seen two cyclists die in the past decade in collisions with heavy goods vehicles.

Both deaths took place as they tried to cycle westbound towards Greenwich across the roundabout, which is where the A206 meets the Blackwall Tunnel approach road.

The roundabout was originally due to be on a cycle superhighway between London Bridge and Woolwich, but when plans went out to consultation last year the route had shrunk to run from Tower Bridge to Deptford Creek Bridge. City Hall says the route was split under previous mayor Boris Johnson.

But pressure on Transport for London, which controls the A102, and Greenwich Council, which controls the A206, increased after the death of 37-year-old Edgaras Cepura at the junction in May.

Junction revamp

In 2009, 31-year-old Adrianna Skrzypiec died in a collision at the same spot. Following that, the roundabout was included in a programme to improve a series of London junctions, but did not appear in a successor scheme introduced after mayor Sadiq Khan – who chairs TfL – took office.

Earlier this month, 853 revealed there would be a five-year wait for improvements at the junction.

Now work is under way on both a revamp of the junction and running Cycle Superhighway 4 on to Woolwich, as originally planned.

Separately, Greenwich Council has applied to TfL for £490,000 in funding for “a local safety scheme” around the roundabout.

Khan told Liberal Democrat politician Pidgeon: “TfL is therefore working closely with the Royal Borough of Greenwich to develop designs and identify funding to transform the Woolwich Road/A102 junction as soon as possible.

“Since the tragic cycling fatality in May, the borough has refreshed line markings at the junction, including the advanced stop line (ASL) markings, and repaired damaged kerbs. The borough will also complete additional safety improvements on the westbound approach to the roundabout – the location of the cycling fatality – by spring 2019.

“The timescales provided in recent communications relate to longer term improvements. These are part of a major project for a new cycle route between Greenwich and Woolwich being developed by TfL and the borough. Timescales are currently indicative and will be reviewed once the design work is completed.”

‘Prioritised for improvements’

A City Hall spokesperson told 853: “TfL is planning to consult on extending Cycle Superhighway 4 to Woolwich by late next year.

“Early design work is already underway and the plans will include making the A206/A102 roundabout safer. The junction is already on a list being prioritised for improvements.”

Greenwich’s bid for funding is part of a wider scheme – the Local Implementation Plan – where councils bid for money from TfL for projects across their boroughs. It is applying for £10,000 in 2019/20, £200,000 in 2020/21 and £280,000 in 2021/22.

It was approved at a cabinet meeting last week, although the junction was not specifically mentioned.

A Greenwich Council spokesperson told 853: “The Royal Borough of Greenwich will continue to work closely with Transport for London and the Greater London Authority to ensure that the full route of Cycle Superhighway 4 from Tower Bridge to Greenwich is delivered as swiftly as possible and then extended to Woolwich, as one of the priority cycling future routes that have been identified in the Strategic Cycling Analysis.

“This includes the remodelling of the Angerstein Roundabout as a key priority.

“In advance of this we are planning to make some safety-focussed improvements to the westbound approach to the roundabout as part of a local safety scheme on Woolwich Road.”

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