Emergency Sewer Repairs Cause Yet More Delays


Work at W6 junction adds to borough's traffic disruption

Emergency works to fix a collapsed sewer at the junction of Lillie and Fulham Palace Roads are causing yet more local traffic delays.

Thames Water and contractor Cappagh Browne began work to repair the sewer in the westbound lane of Lillie Road at 6am on Wednesday, with work expected to take around three weeks to complete.

Traffic will continue to flow in both directions along both Lillie Road and Fulham Palace Road despite the westbound lane being shut, but Silverton Road will be closed while the work is carried out, with a local diversion in place.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council says it is insisting that workers from Cappagh Browne are on site and working the extended hours of 8am until 10pm every single day to make sure the works are completed as quickly as possible. 

Cllr Victoria Brocklebank-Fowler, cabinet member for transport and technical services, said: “This is an unexpected set of works but Thames Water have told us must be done as soon as possible, so that local properties are not flooded with raw sewage. "

For further information on the works, residents should call Thames Water’s customer centre on 0845 9200 800, quoting the permit number 02139/TNPX/000003. 

Road users have already been warned to plan ahead and leave more time for their journeys with a series of vital road works being carried out across the borough.

H & F Council has explained that these essential works, which need some lanes to be closed were postponed last year because of the Olympics and Christmas roadwork embargos.

These embargos meant that all councils in London were forced to suspend all major works between July and October last year, and then again over the Christmas holiday period, leaving a backlog of works.

They have now become increasingly urgent as they could prove dangerous.

The projects fall under the London Permit Scheme, where the utility company must buy a permit for the length of time of the work from the council and if they go over their allocated time, would incur a fine.

The utility companies have been working with the council, Transport for London, London Buses and London Underground to try and find the best possible solution to get these works done as quickly as they can while causing as little disruption as possible.

Here are details of the works taking place in the weeks ahead across the borough:

Monday, February 18 - Monday, April 29
BT works on Hammersmith Broadway – one lane closed between Queen Caroline Street and Shepherds Bush Road and changes to a pedestrian island in Shepherds Bush Road

These works will be carried out in two phases.

Phase 1: Monday, February 18 – Sunday, March 17
Preparatory works for the demolition and reconstruction of the chamber will include adjustments to the pedestrian island in the middle of Shepherds Bush Road. This pedestrian crossing will still be in use and pedestrians will be able to use all the other road crossings around the Broadway as usual.

Work to change this island is being done to create an extra lane around the gyratory, so that two lanes are kept open and running while BT workers are on site.

There will be no road closures at this time.

Phase 2: Monday, March 18 – Monday April 29
Two lanes on Hammersmith Broadway on the Hammersmith Gyratory, from the top of Queen Caroline Street to Shepherds Bush Road, will be closed for six weeks for BT’s essential works to happen. However, as an extra lane will have been created, two lanes of traffic will still be able to flow around the gyratory.

It is likely that these lane closures will cause some delays so road users and residents are advised to leave extra time for their journeys.

To make sure that these works are completed as quickly as possible, BT will be able to work on the site 24/7 though no noisy works will be allowed between 10pm and 8am, Monday to Saturday, and between 10pm and 10am on Sunday.

Local amenity groups and emergency services will be consulted on the works and local residents, businesses and community groups will receive letters offering more information about the works and how they may affect them.

Askew Road in Shepherds Bush, between Goldhawk Road to Hadyn Park Road, will also be closed overnight every Monday through to Thursday nights, from Monday, February 25 to Friday morning, March 8 for carriageway resurfacing works. The road improvements will be done between 8pm and 6am, and will complement a major project to improve the road’s pavements that is finishing at the end of this month.

Residents living in and around the area have been sent letters giving them notice of the works, and a diversion will be in place from Goldhawk Road to Conningham Road and then back onto Uxbridge Road.

TfL will completely close the Hammersmith flyover for regular maintenance in the eastbound direction overnight on March 5, 10pm-4am, while the westbound lanes will be closed the following night (March 6) at the same time of 10pm-4am. Diversions will be in place and will be signposted in advance. These works form part of regular cyclical overnight closures for general maintenance on the flyover.

March 1, 2013