Ardleigh Green road bridge work

Work to replace the Ardleigh Green road bridge on the A127 begins

​Transport for London (TfL) will shortly begin work to completely replace the Ardleigh Green bridge as part of its continuing programme of road modernisation in the capital.

​The work will see the 90 year old bridge, which carries the A127 Southend Arterial Road over National Rail lines in Romford, replaced with a new, wider structure with better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists in the area. The new bridge will also provide improved headroom for trains running to and from London.

 

Preliminary works to prepare the worksite will begin from Monday 15 September, with a site compound set up on the large traffic island in Bryant Avenue and temporary fencing installed to protect the public from the working areas. During the preliminary works, some off-peak and night-time traffic lane closures will be required. However, the majority of works will take place off the carriageway to reduce disruption to traffic, and noise will be kept to a minimum.

 

Early next year, a new service bridge will be built to the side of the existing bridge, to carry the utilities services which are currently buried within the road. This will also allow utility companies to access cables without needing to carry out roadworks on the bridge, reducing future disruption to the road network.

 

The main works to replace the existing bridge will then take place over two years from 2015 and are scheduled to be completed by late 2017. Once completed, the proposed new road bridge will not only provide wider carriageways and upgraded bridge parapets, but also improved footways, planting and lighting throughout the area.

 

Dana Skelley, Director of Asset Management at TfL said:

 

“The A127 Southend Arterial Road is a vital road for both businesses and commuters, linking Romford and East London, with the M25. Therefore, it is important that we ensure that it continues to remain usable and safe for years to come.

 

“We are committed to completing these works as quickly and efficiently as possible and will keep the local community and road users informed of progress as we work to deliver these vital improvements.”

 

Councillor Osman Dervish, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, said:

 

“We are very pleased that the road bridge will be replaced under this scheme as the road is  major route into our local area.
 
“We understand this important work will have an impact on local residents and road users and we are working with Transport for London to make sure that any disruption is kept to a minimum.

 

During the next ten years, TfL will be investing around £4 billion into the capital's road network as part of the Roads Task Force. Working with its partners, including London's boroughs and road user and street user groups, TfL will build on the improvements already seen in the management of London's roads, streets and public spaces to help ensure the capital remains one of the most attractive, vibrant, accessible and competitive cities in the world.