Notorious for its high pollution levels, traffic and now endless roadworks, the Hammersmith Flyover is an eyesore on our local landscape. But plans are afoot to transform the site, taking the A4 flyover underground in the form of a tunnel between Chiswick and Earl’s Court, re-connecting Hammersmith residents with the River Thames and freeing up 2.5 miles of land for new green space, business and housing development.
West London Mum talked to Tom Ryland, Chairman of the team of local architects – ‘West London Link’ – responsible for the plans behind this exciting transformation project.
Tell us about the West London Link?
This is principally a project to remove the Hammersmith Flyover and stretches of the A4 Great West Road from Hogarth Roundabout to Earls Court and replace them in a tunnel. The overall extent has still to be decided. We are aware that people in Chiswick/Hounslow would like to see it extended to the end of the M4 and residents in Kensington would also like it to extend further.
What inspired you to get involved with this project?
Most of the architects in the group – there are currently nine practices involved – live or work or are in some way affected by the existing road. The original ‘Great West Road’ was forged through the middle of Hammersmith in the mid 1950s cutting off the main part of Hammersmith, and some parts of Chiswick, from their riverside. The congestion at Hammersmith Broadway was such that a very quick decision was made to construct the flyover which was completed in 1961. Various studies have been carried out over the years to see if improvements could be made to the hostile environment created and the accessibility for pedestrians.
In 2008, various architectural practices got together and produced a number of studies as part of the biennial London Festival of Architecture. One of the many ideas was to replace the road between Hogarth Roundabout and the Hammersmith Flyover in a tunnel which would allow the 11 north-south roads to the river which were severed by the construction of the road in the 1950s to be reconnected. Hammersmith and Fulham Council were enthusiastic and showed the proposals to Boris Johnson who had just been elected Mayor of London. No more progress was made until the emergency closure of the flyover in December 2011. This was the catalyst for both the Council and the architects’ group to take up the idea in earnest.
In 2012, the architects put together more specific ideas for that year’s London Festival and we were fortunate in finding the Halcrow Group on our doorstep. They are an international transport planning consultancy with specialist tunnelling expertise and have enthusiastically given their support and assistance. In particularly they have been able to demonstrate examples around the world where major roads in cities have been replaced by tunnels : These are illustrated in the brochure.
What would be the three key advantages to local residents in creating a Hammersmith Flyunder?
The first and most major advantage is to re-connect the major part of Hammersmith with the riverside. The other main advantages are to remove intrusive traffic which for the most part is passing through, and the removal of the traffic will take away both the visual pollution it causes and the air pollution which is very high.
What has been the initial reaction to the proposal?
Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s reaction and support has been great, with several public speeches by Nick Botterill, the Leader. We know too that the Council have been pressing the Mayor of London and Transport for London (Tfl) very hard on the matter. The key next stage is to get financial support to allow a proper feasibility study and we believe we are well on our way to achieving this. Public support has been stupendous with some 200 people attending our evening event in the Town Hall. While the Mayor has not actually given any financial support yet, he has made his interest clear and the project is referred to in his ‘Vision Statement for London in 2020’ published recently.
How much would the project cost and how would it be funded?
No actual costing has been done yet and this would form part of the initial study. It is likely that the overall cost which will be several hundred million pounds will have to be met in large part by development of the land released by relocating the road. There will be huge opportunities although not all of this may be welcomed. There may also have to be some sort of tolling or extension of congestion charging.
How long would it take?
We think that about 15 years from now for the completion of the project is possible provided that the initial steps are taken now. As we all know, getting this type of project off the ground in this country with all the consultation and necessary approvals can be an agonisingly slow process. The actual construction process should only be about three years.
What challenges have you faced so far on this project?
The biggest challenge has been and will continue to be that this is a realistic and achievable project.
West London Link’s presentation which was made in Hammersmith Town Hall at the end of April and will also be on display with an opportunity to discuss the proposals and ask questions in Lyric Square during Saturday 13th July.
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Contributed by Annabelle King
