MT 106/295

Greenwich town centre proposed bypass to relieve severe traffic problems: proposed route to protect Greenwich Park and historical buildings; meeting with GLC

Date range	1965-1970
Location	National Archives (see all files stored here)
Catalogue	See entry
File base	Series MT, subseries MT 106

Context

This file refers to plans for a bypass of Greenwich Town Centre, first drawn up by the London County Council and then pursued by the GLC until about 1970. Following that date a different solution was sought, since the road documented here was considered unacceptable - it being either a surface road or cut-and-cover tunnel through Greenwich Park. Later plans, like the idea to build two bridges and bypass Greenwich via the Isle of Dogs, are not here.

The file begins with minutes of an LCC meeting from January 1965 about overloading on Greenwich High Street and Westcombe Hill. Since LCC refused to widen Romney Road and Trafalgar Road, a bypass, partly in tunnel, was being considered from Creek Road to a point half a mile east of the National Maritime Museum. The original idea was for a shallow cutting through Greenwich Park, with ramps down to bus bays. The GLC's later revisions to the scheme put most of the length in the park into a cut-and-cover tunnel.

Correspondence suggests that, through until at least 1969, the GLC was talking about dealing with traffic problems in Greenwich by providing an A206 bypass, "probably" in tunnel under Greenwich Park. However, no line was fixed, and that in turn held up Greenwich Borough Council and local commercial redevelopment plans. Everybody was unhappy with the idea of building in the park, even if it was a tunnel. No alternative route could be found. There the paper trail runs out.

Contents of note

A folder of plans at the rear contains, among other things:

• Plan of the Dover Radial Route and connections, including a bit of R2 south of Falconwood labelled as "quite confidential".
• Plan of proposed bypass, in colour, with tunnel included. It's an at grade affair otherwise with three signalised T-junctions.
• Earlier iteration of above, 1965, on broadly the same line, but in open cutting.
• Various traffic flow forecasts and signal timings.

People with camera copies

Chris Marshall has a partial copy.