New TfL yellow junction box will be installed nearer the Olympics

Transport for London has postponed work on a Temporary Yellow Box Junction at the junction of the A4 and Church Street at the Hogarth Roundabout.

Work installing the junction, which the transport company said would improve traffic flow during the Olympics, was due to start last night, though the yellow box junction was not scheduled to become operational until July.

But TfL told Chiswick W4.com today (Thursday, May 3rd) that they had decided not to start work until nearer the opening of the 2012 Games.

A spokesperson denied it was as a result of local complaints that the box junction was on the "wrong side" of the Hogarth Roundabout. TfL had decided to reschedule some of the works it was doing prior to the Olympics and to carry them out nearer to the time instead of so far in advance.

Local people had complained that the measure would not alleviate any of the congestion currently being experienced along the Hogarth roundabout and the A4, one of the busiest carriageways in London. Traffic congestion has recently been exacerbated because of the situation with the Hammersmith Flyover.

One resident told ChiswickW4.com that “any Yellow Box Junction should be placed on the opposite side of the roundabout which is where congestion occurs”.

"It's all very well putting something in for the Olympics but what about the rest of us who have to live with this congestion all the time? At the end of the day it will make no difference, as all the traffic problems are on the other side."

" It seems a bit of a coincidence that they postpone the work now. I personally think they've recognised that they got it wrong", he added. However TfL have denied that is the case.

The resident said that cars were regularly backed up around the roundabout, either trying to get off to head towards Dorchester Road (near Chiswick Lane) or to the A4 heading east to Hammersmith. There was congestion on a daily basis, he said, and the police had to regularly stand and direct traffic on that site, he said “ In effect they are doing the work of a Yellow box Junction”.

“Maybe they need a bit of local knowledge here. If TfL had come and spoken to local people who use the Hogarth roundabout on a daily basis, or to the police, they would hear differently” he said.

He added that locals would be in contact with TfL to discuss their concerns about the traffic flow at Hogarth Roundabout.

The letter which was delivered to local residents last Sunday had stated:

“The work is to add a temporary Yellow Box Junction to the carriageway at the junction of Church Street and Hogarth Roundabout and is scheduled to commence on 2nd May 2012.

“Clear diversion signs will be in place to redirect pedestrians where necessary and access to residential properties and local business will be maintained. The London Streets Traffic Control Centre will if necessary, remotely change the timing of traffic signals to help ease congestion.

A spokesperson for TfL said the measure was designed to benefit Olympic traffic flowing in a north-south direction over the period of the Games.

May 3, 2012