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Friday 29 Apr 2016

Drivers, bus users and pedestrians urged to plan ahead as part-closure of road near London Bridge station begins

Region & Route:

| Southern

A busy road next to London Bridge station will be closed to traffic one way as the Thameslink Programme enters the final stage of its massive station rebuilding project.

Part of Tooley Street will be closed to eastbound traffic from May 3, 2016, until February 2018, between Borough High Street and Bermondsey Street. In addition, that section will be completely closed for all three days of the bank holiday weekend (April 30- May 2).

That’s because Network Rail and its contractors Costain will be starting work on the final stages of the £1bn reconstruction of London Bridge, taking control of the northern section of the railway and the arches below. Westbound traffic will continue as usual and there will be a signed diversionary route for people travelling eastbound.

As lead development manager for the Thameslink Programme, Andrew Hutton has been planning the different stages of the station construction and its eventual layout. He said: “One of the biggest challenges of rebuilding London Bridge has been minimising disruption, not only to passengers but also to our neighbours.

“The part-closure of Tooley Street is unavoidable as we enter the last stages of the project and my team and I have been planning this for many years to make it as safe and as seamless as possible.

“We are doing everything we can to minimise that, including allowing for cyclists to continue to ride both ways down the street on a separate path.

“The new piazza and massive new entrance we are building will be a huge improvement over what we have right now, and while a degree of disruption is inevitable, it will be worth it in the long run.”

Tooley Street was once famous for warehouses and wharves, such as Hays Wharf – the precursor to today’s shopping and office block, but today it is busy with office workers and commuters from London Bridge. It is also a busy bus route and the Thameslink Programme has been working closely with Transport for London to minimise disruption.

Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL, said: “We’ve been working closely with Network Rail to minimise the impact of the vital London Bridge railway station rebuild and to ensure Londoners and key stakeholders have the travel advice they need.

“All eastbound traffic between Duke Street Hill and Tooley Street will be diverted – except for bicycles - and some bus stops will be temporarily relocated. Our advice to customers is to check before they travel and allow more time for their journeys.

“While the closure is in place our 24-hour traffic control centre will manage traffic in the area, including the use of our intelligent traffic signals to minimise delays.”

The rebuilding of London Bridge will take a big leap forward in August, when the first part of the concourse opens, with a new entrance on St Thomas Street. The station rebuilding will then continue to the north of the site, along Tooley Street and where Cannon Street trains currently run. Then in February 2018, the reconstruction will be complete, with a new entrance on Tooley Street, piazza and many new shops, cafes, restaurants and bars – bringing new life to the area.

NOTES

30 April to 3 May 2016 (May Day Bank Holiday) there will be a complete closure of Tooley Street between Borough High Street and Bermondsey Street to enable hoarding to be put up.

From 3 May 2016 to February 2018 Tooley Street will be closed to eastbound traffic. westbound traffic will travel in the eastbound lane.

The southern footpath on the station side of the road will be closed from Cottons Bridge to Bermondsey Street. Cyclists will be able to travel in both directions on Tooley Street: westbound with the traffic and eastbound in a segregated lane.

Buses will not be able to travel eastbound along Duke Street Hill and Tooley Street. Routes 47, 343, 381, N199 and N381 will be diverted via Great Dover Street, Bricklayers Arms and Tower Bridge Road. Route RV1 will be diverted via London Bridge, Great Tower Street and Tower Hill.

Eastbound tour bus and coach services will be diverted. Customers should contact their operator directly for further information.

For further information on the upcoming changes visit - thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/tooleystreet

Tooley Street was named after the Church of St Olave (say St Olave’s quickly and you’ll get it). King Olaf was an ally of Aethelred the Unready, and his long boats are alleged to have pulled down London Bridge itself in a battle against King Canute.

About Thameslink 
Network Rail is delivering the government-sponsored Thameslink Programme to transform north-south travel through London. When complete in 2018 it will give passengers:

• New spacious trains running every 2 to 3 minutes through central London in the peak
• Improved connections and better options to more destinations on an expanded Thameslink network including Cambridge and Peterborough
• Robust tracks and signalling offer more reliable journeys
• A completely rebuilt London Bridge station with more space and great facilities

London Bridge facts

• 54m million passengers start or end their at London Bridge itself
• The new concourse at London Bridge is bigger than the pitch at Wembley, increasing passenger capacity by 65%
• London Bridge will be longer than the Shard is tall From 2018, more frequent services:
  • Between Blackfriars and St Pancras - up to 24 trains per hour in each direction during the peak
  • Between London Bridge and St Pancras - up to 18 Thameslink trains an hour in each direction, during the peak 
• 179 years old – London Bridge is London’s oldest surviving rail terminus, first opened in Dec 1836