More than 30 of London’s ‘biggest and nastiest’ road junctions are set to be transformed as part of a £300 million programme to improve the capital’s roads for cyclists

The controversial Elephant and Castle roundabout – London’s highest cycle casualty location – is set to be removed as part of the shake-up.

Gyratories at Archway, Aldgate, Swiss Cottage and Wandsworth will be ripped out and replaced with two-way roads, segregated cycle tracks and traffic-free public space.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ‘These road junctions are relics of the 60s which blight and menace whole neighbourhoods. Like so much from that era, they’re also atrociously-designed and wasteful of space.

These road junctions are relics of the 60s

‘Because of that, we can turn these junctions into more civilised places for cyclists and pedestrians, while at the same time maintaining their traffic function.’

Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at TfL, said: ‘For over a year our designers and engineers have been working flat out to develop new junction designs for these 33 locations to completely change how they operate, transforming their areas for cyclists, pedestrians and the wider local community.

This work has been complicated

‘They are some of the busiest traffic intersections in Europe, so this work has been complicated. But we are now fully committed to delivering these junction improvements as quickly as possible, making London safer and more inviting for all.’

The London Borough of Southwark contains four out of the 33 road junctions which are set to be improved. Councillor Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling at Southwark Council, said: ‘The council has had a long-term ambition to transform Elephant and Castle’s northern roundabout and has been working with TfL and the GLA for some years to make this a reality - the southern roundabout has already seen the unpopular subways filled in and a new road layout put in place.

‘Cycle and pedestrian safety is a hugely important issue for Southwark and improving the transport network around Elephant has been central to the £3 billion regeneration plans for the area which will also see new homes, better shopping, a brand new leisure centre and park space.’

In the last three years, more than 150 cyclists and pedestrians have been killed or seriously injured at the 33 junctions set to be revamped. 

Improvements are also lined up for Boris’ flagship Cycle Superhighways, despite not being included in this £300 million of funding. Six junctions on Cycle Superhighway 2 will be improved as part of its upgrade which was announced after five people died in bike accidents on the capital’s roads in just nine days last November.

Work will begin on the junction improvements later this year.