GLC/DG/PTI/P/05/075
Wandsworth Bridge Southern Approach
| Date range | 1965-1969 |
| Location | London Metropolitan Archives (see all files stored here) |
| Catalogue | See entry |
| File base | Fond GLC, subfond DG/PTI/P |
Context
Some inside information on the elusive and mysterious 1960s scheme to plough an enormous dual three-lane white elephant through Wandsworth, which seemed for a long time to be completely at odds with the Ringway plans. It now appears that it was planned in conjunction with them, and this file for the first time indicates how it would have interacted with the planned motorway network.
It seems that Wandsworth Bridge, built in the 1930s, didn't actually have a southern approach road to begin with, and terminated on what is now Old York Road near what is now the northern corner of the huge squareabout. The LCC set about reserving land for this road scheme as early as 1939.
In June 1966 the GLC revised the road scheme to make the underpass (and by association the rest of the short dual carriageway) dual three-lane rather than dual two. These changes also saw the roundabout slightly modified and the wide central reserve added to allow space for a future flyover northwards. The Ministry of Transport agreed to these changes (worth £200,000) on the understanding that an equivalent Northern Approach would also be created and the Bridge itself would be substantially widened.
A memo from July 1966 indicates that any future work on this road would depend on the outcome of the London Transportation Study, but the likely proposal (and therefore the assumption on which this road was built) was that Trinity Road would be widened in similar fashion to "Burntwood Lane and beyond" - for which one can assume it was heading for the A24 - and that a Northern Approach would be built linking to the West Cross Route via Townmead Road. Sure enough the West Cross Route plans show a previously-inexplicable connection to Townmead Road.
- MT 118/379 A3 Trunk Road: Wandsworth Bridge (southern approach); construction of underpass diaphragm wall incorporating instruments for measurement of earth thrust and other variables. Pt 3 of 3 (1967)
People with camera copies
None known.
