Revised Plans For The A206 Thames Road Improvement Scheme
A new schedule of work has been put together for the A206 Thames Road project. The new timetable will see improvements to the A206 Thames Road continue as planned and largely completed by June 2007.
Network Rail, which owns the bridge that carries trains over the eastern end of Thames Road, has been unable to agree a suitable bridge design with the Council's consultants, so this feature is no longer part of the Council's immediate plans. While 1.5km of Thames Road will be widened to two lanes, traffic will continue to flow under the bridge in a single lane until the new railway bridge is built.
Originally, the highway works and bridge replacement were to be carried out under one contract. This will now be revised so that the contract only covers the highway works. The change has been made to ensure the rest of the scheme proceeds as planned, while negotiations about the future of the bridge continue with Network Rail, the Council's consultants and funders.
The change was announced by the Leader of Bexley Council, Cllr Ian Clement, at last week's full Council meeting: "We are determined to see the highway project through and deliver a road scheme that brings regeneration benefits and helps reduce traffic congestion in this part of the borough as much as possible.
"We're disappointed that we could not reach an agreement on the bridge and that this aspect of the project will have to be postponed for now. But by making this change to the contract, we are ensuring that we don't miss out on the other benefits that the road will bring."
Among the other improvements that the scheme delivers are:
- the extension of the existing bridge over the River Cray
- new roundabouts which will improve safety and reduce congestion
- cycling and pedestrian facilities with improved accessibility
- local environmental improvements including improved street lighting and highway drainage
A new railway bridge will now be considered at a later date with a brand new design to be agreed between engineering consultants and Network Rail. This part of the project will be recosted, and it's likely that the Council will need to secure additional funding for the work.
