People living on Grafton Way as well as staff and patients at University College Hospital are taking the brunt of the current traffic diversions as Camden Council’s West End Project grinds towards its final act.
The air on TfL’s gyratory around the hospital is thick with traffic fumes and drivers and cyclists are confronted with a confusing set of diversions to avoid part of Gower Street which is closed for major road works.
“This work will require noisy work to break up the road surface and involve large machinery moving around the area to lay the new road surface. Disruption to traffic and long pedestrian diversions should be expected. We will be working from 8am – 6pm Mondays to Fridays,” says Camden.
On notices tied to lamp posts it states that the closure of Gower Street means vehicles will be sent southbound along Tottenham Court Road and then directed left into Chenies Street to re-join Gower Street to head south. But some of the yellow diversion signs say otherwise and are directing drivers across Tottenham Court Road and sending them around in circles. Whether this is by intention or accident is anybody’s guess.
Cyclists face the hazard of mixing with motor vehicles as protected lanes are closed either with cones on Maple Street or steel fencing for the continued closure of the track on Tottenham Court Road.
According to Camden Council, Gower Street between Grafton Way and Chenies street will be closed until Monday 2 December; and between Chenies Street and Bedford Square from Monday 2 December until Monday 9 December. The final sections of Gower Street and Bloomsbury Street will be worked on in early 2020.
More information: Gower Street resurfacing works.