Published: Wednesday 20 October 2021
Work begins on Thursday 21 October on a new pedestrian crossing, widened pavements and lower speed limits to make Battersea Bridge safer.
The improvements come following the death of Jack Ryan, who was tragically killed on the bridge earlier this year in a collision with a vehicle. Residents and campaigners have been raising concerns about the bridge for some time, supported by councillors.
Transport for London will begin the works on Thursday 21 October, which include:
- new signalised pedestrian crossing on the north side of the bridge
- expanded pavements on both sides of the road
- 24 hour enforcement of the existing banned right turn from Cheyne Walk into Battersea Bridge Road
- Speed limit reduction on Chelsea Embankment and Battersea Bridge from 30mph to 20mph.
Cllr Johnny Thalassites, lead member for environment, planning and place said:
“It’s a relief that Battersea Bridge will be made safer for pedestrians with this much-needed crossing. The voices of local people were hugely influential in getting this done and we’ve been behind our residents every step of the way.
“We’ve lowered the speed limit to 20mph on all our roads around Kensington and Chelsea and I’m glad to see TfL lowering the speed limit to 20mph on the bridge itself. We’ll keep working to make all the borough’s streets safer, cleaner and greener with TfL and our communities.”
Resident Rob McGibbon has lived in Chelsea since 1995. After witnessing the aftermath of January’s road traffic accident in which Jack Ryan lost his life, Rob started a petition which gathered 26,000 signatures. Rob said:
“I am delighted that my campaign succeeded. This crossing point is lethal and has been a major concern for decades. This will make a huge difference locally.
“Whilst I am happy that a crossing will be installed, I am saddened that it took the tragic death of Jack Ryan and a campaign to bring the issue to wider attention. Without the events of that night, I doubt anything would ever have happened.
"Major praise must got to Commissioner Byford who personally fast-tracked works at this junction.
“I would also like to thank Jack Ryan's family, his girlfriend and his closest friends who supported the campaign from its earliest days. They have been devastated by Jack's death, but they have told me that there is some degree of comfort in knowing that something tangible for the safety of others has come out of the tragedy.
“Above all, I am grateful to everyone who signed the petition and got behind the campaign. People Power made this happen. It just proves that you can make a difference. My campaign mantra has always been 'Don't Walk On By'. Just look what happens when people can be bothered to make a stand.”
While work is being carried out, there may be some delays on roads and on several bus routes. TfL is advising people to plan ahead and use alternative routes where possible. The latest status updates can be found on the TfL website for both buses and roads.
- From 21 October until 4 November work will be carried out during the day and night from 8am until 5am the following morning.
- From 4 November to 21 November TfL will only work during the night from 9pm until 5am the following morning to minimise disruption to the road network. There will be no noise disruptive work after 11pm on any night.
- Bus routes 19, 49, 170, 319, 345, N19 and N31 will all experience some delays at various times throughout the works.
Visit https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/status for the latest updates.