Long-delayed Kew Bridge Archway Officially Opened
Platinum Jubilee Arch improves access to the Thames Path
The ribbon us cut on the new archway. Picture: Guy Lambert
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A ceremony was held this week to mark the official opening of the walkway under Kew Bridge.
Officially dubbed the Platinum Jubilee Arch, the passageway has been open for several weeks, but various dignitaries were on hand to see a ribbon cutting ceremony by Cllr Katherine Dunne, the deputy leader of Hounslow Council with Ruth Cadbury MP and TfL’s Will Norman in attendance.
The opening marks the end for a campaign by local people lasting over a decade. When the archway first became vacant, TfL were initially reluctant to consider using it to provide access for pedestrians fearing loss of commercial revenue but, after persistent lobbying from local residents and councillors, the former London Assembly Member for the area, Tony Arbor, and the Strand on the Green Residents’ Association, a plan was eventually drawn up. Even when planning permission was given, Covid-19 intervened to further delay the project.
TfL has now leased the archway to Hounslow Council for 25 years and £60,000 has been spent on refurbishing and providing lighting for the space.
The restoration of a public thoroughfare at this point provides an accessible route across Kew Bridge between Strand of the Green and Brentford, avoiding the steps near the slipway.
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July 22, 2022
