Temporary cycle lane opens in Greenwich

A new temporary cycle lane has been opened in Greenwich.

The new route will make cycling between the Old Royal Naval College and Angerstein roundabout much safer, and includes a protected route through the roundabout, which is one of the most dangerous and intimidating junctions in the area and was where somebody was killed cycling in 2018.

Other improvements include new pedestrian crossings which provide a more direct route through Angerstein roundabout for people on foot.

The new lane will form part of an extended Cycleway 4 (C4) which, when complete, will connect Charlton and Greenwich to central London via Rotherhithe and Bermondsey. In September, Transport for London (TfL) opened the first section of the route between Tower Bridge Road and Rotherhithe, including a complete overhaul of Rotherhithe Roundabout and three new Santander Cycles docking stations along the route.

Other temporary work on C9 that has been carried out so far includes measures in Wellesley Road and between Olympia and Goldhawk Road, which have together created a safer cycling corridor between Olympia and Gunnersbury for the first time. TfL will continue to work with Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow councils on plans to create the Cycleway 9 route in full.

Cllr Sizwe James, Greenwich’s cabinet member for transport, said: “I’m really pleased that the Cycleway 4 extension in Greenwich has been completed. Making cycling and walking safer is key to keeping up the momentum of people choosing these active modes of transport as we continue to find our way through the pandemic.

“The junction at the Angerstein roundabout has been an especially dangerous and difficult junction to navigate for cyclists and pedestrians, so I’m glad that there’s now a safer route through there for everyone.”

It is part of 90km of new or upgraded cycle lanes that have been delivered or are under construction since May in response to the coronavirus pandemic.