UPDATE: Thames Water in fact closed the Greenway on 11 September, before the diversion was made safe. For our statement on this matter and a full timeline of events please see our latest post.
There are two pieces of news to share about the partial closure of the Greenway/Cycleway 22 (previously reported here.)
Firstly: Thames Water have postponed the closure to start on 2nd September, to allow for additional work on the diversion route. This will include widening the ramp down to Manor Road and improving lighting, which is already in progress. It will still be steep, but this should make it a little more convenient to navigate and give plenty of space when passing pedestrians, wheelchair/pram users, and other cyclists.
Secondly: The currently-planned diversion will be via Canning Road, Abbey Road, Leywick Street, Richardson Road, Pond Road, and Manor Road. Longer-term Newham Council are looking at an additional diversion via the disused Crows Road bridge, but since this has been out of use for well over a decade it will take some time (and liaisons with multiple stakeholders) to bring it back into use for people walking and cycling. So the official diversion will be via Abbey Road, at least initially.
We are continuing to advocate for common-sense measures to make the diversion route suitable for all to use, and for these to be in place before the Manor Road bridge is closed. Jonathan and Karen, our Co-ordinator and Deputy Co-ordinator, met with Thames Water’s contractor, Barhale, at the end of July, and tested the route both on foot and by cycle. We found the following:
- The shared pavement on Manor Road, while awkward, is workable, and with a temporary toucan crossing should be fine for people to cross.
- The best route to join Abbey Road is via Pond Road, Richardson Road, and Leywick Street. This has the advantages of getting of Manor Road quickly, and passing in front of houses, a primary school, and some shopfronts—all of which lead to a better feeling of social safety than continuing on Manor Road. These streets are all effectively a low-traffic neighbourhood so were fine for cycling.
- Abbey Road bridge is easily the most dangerous part of the diversion. Despite not being part of the strategic road network, and not carrying any bus routes (it can’t due to a very restrictive weight limit), Abbey Road was very heavily trafficked with drivers using it and Rick Roberts Way as a shortcut from Stratford High Street to Manor Road. We received a punishment pass when testing the route in one direction. The pavements are also too narrow for pedestrians, and obstructed by lamp posts. We also found that the sight lines from Canning Road onto Abbey Road were unacceptable, particularly given the speed that drivers approach from the west.
- Our preferred solution here is a mode filter to prohibit all motor vehicles from the Abbey Road bridge for the duration of the works. Emergency vehicles would of course be exempt from this closure, and would likely benefit from reduced congestion on the bridge.
We will continue to hold Thames Water and Newham Council to account in delivering a diversion route that works for all users of the Greenway, and protects this vital community asset for the thousands of people who rely on it each day.
We are pleased to report that Newham officers and politicians do appear to understand the importance of the Greenway to the public, and are making a good effort in delivering a diversion that works; we hope that Thames Water will be driven by them. In particular, our view is that if a workable diversion route is not ready by September 2nd, Thames Water should delay the start of their works again until a diversion can be delivered.
We will continue to update our website, our socials (Instagram, Threads, the site formerly known as Twitter) and our newsgroup as the situation develops and more news becomes available.
If you depend on the Greenway and want to help us hold Thames Water and Newham Council to account, then please do! You can help by joining the London Cycling Campaign, joining our newsgroup, and coming along to our meetings (the next will be at some time during September – details will be on the newsgroup.) The more people who campaign with us, the stronger our voice is.