Transport for London (TfL) has completed major improvements to Tolworth Roundabout In southwest London, which it said will reduce congestion and make walking and cycling easier.
More than 6,000 square metres of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) have also been installed, partly funded by Thames Water, to help address flooding risks.
TfL said that Tolworth, which is next to the A3, will see substantial growth over the coming years and that the previous road layout experienced severe congestion at peak times.
The walking and cycling route through the roundabout, now with added SuDS
It said it has worked closely with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to understand the journey time impacts of the developments and what can be done to mitigate these.
Bus journey times through the area were predicted to lengthen by 16-17 minutes due to the increased congestion from local developments, but the changes will help prevent this and create more space for walking and cycling, TfL said.
Helen Cansick, its head of healthy streets investment, said: ‘Tolworth is a busy junction, and the work we have done means that it can now cope with a growth in people travelling around the area, as well as becoming a nicer place to live and work.’
Kingston Council’s assistant director - highways, transport, and regulatory services, Matthew Hill, said: ‘Schemes such as this are a vital contribution to our necessary future climate adaptation in response to the climate emergency.'
The total cost of the work was £10.9m, of which TfL paid £5.74m. Two Section 106 developer’s contributions of £2.5m each came from Guinness Partnership and Lidl Ltd, with Thames Water contributing £160,000 towards the SuDs installation.
The completed works create:
- a new area for walking and cycling in the centre of Kingston Road, extending the existing Greenway in Tolworth Broadway.
- a new dedicated left turn lane to access the A3 and new developments from the Kingston Road
- Installation of pedestrian countdown timers on crossings
- footway renewal between the A3 roundabout and Tolworth rail station
- new planting and landscaping on the roundabout and elsewhere in the area
- improved link for cyclists and pedestrians between Tolworth rail station and Tolworth town centre
- an upgraded crossing at Donald Woods Gardens.
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