New crossing to link two sides of Croydon

Work starts tomorrow (Friday) on a new pedestrian and cycle crossing to give office workers, residents and shoppers better access across a major Croydon town centre road.

The new surface-level Wellesley Road crossing is part of the larger £50m Connected Croydon project funded by Croydon Council, Transport for London (TfL) and via the Greater London Authority, and will form part of a series of improvements to public spaces in and around the busy through-route, which carries more than 28,000 vehicles per day and is often accused of dividing the town.

In addition to the crossing – between Bedford Park and Poplar Walk – proposed improvements include the closure and filling-in of the existing subway; wider, less cluttered footways with new paving, lighting, signs, seating and planting; and improved cycle facilities along Bedford Park and Poplar Walk.

Further improvements, developed by the council in conjunction with the Greater London Authority and TfL, include:

• removal of the U-turn north of the Bedford Park junction;
• planting to the central reservation (from the exit of the underpass heading north to the junction with Station Road);
• areas of seating and planting along the pavement on both the east and west sides of Wellesley Road;
• approximately 110 new street trees; and
• approximately 115 items of old street furniture and lighting removed or replaced.

Work on the crossing is expected to last up to a year, and will involve lane closures and diversions for motorists.

“The planned improvements for Wellesley Road will help to regenerate central Croydon by providing easy pedestrian and cycle connections between the office, retail and residential areas. It will also help the creation of new housing development, and provide a better environment for existing and new businesses.

“We’re confident that the planned improvements will help boost the town’s night-time economy by increasing the number of pedestrians, and consequent footfall, to create and sustain new shopping and community opportunities, both in Wellesley Road and nearby areas such as George Street, High Street, North End and Park Street.

“These proposals are only the latest in a range of improvements that will help – and in some cases already are helping – Croydon to face the challenges of the future, and make life better for the people who live and work here.”

Councillor Alison Butler, deputy leader and cabinet member for homes, regeneration and planning

The work begins around a week after it was announced that central Government had given Croydon’s growth zone both the power to retain 50% of new town centre business rates and £7m to help underpin a five-year infrastructure programme to boost the borough’s economy and create thousands of new jobs and homes.

Information on traffic diversions and road closures is available at the council’s road maintenance and closures page. This will include any upcoming diversions and closures affecting Wellesley Road.

Ends

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2016-03-24T14:49:32+00:00 March 24th, 2016|Recent news|