A40 closure from Friday to enable vital safety and maintenance work to take place

Transport for London (TfL) is reminding drivers and others travelling in west London of essential safety-critical renewal work to the A40 Westway from 22:00 Friday 20 March to late April. This work will require the closure of the A40 Westway in both directions between the Westway roundabout and the Marylebone flyover to allow the work to be carried out. During these works, diversion routes and local roads will be extremely busy.

The A40 Westway is one of the busiest strategic routes on TfL's road network, used by up to 96,000 vehicles a day. To keep the A40 Westway and surrounding road network running safely and reliably, the works and associated road closures have been planned to minimise disruption as much as possible. The works have been planned so that part of the closure falls in the Easter period, when traffic flows are slightly lower and have also been scheduled to avoid other major roadworks as far as possible.

Parts of the structure have reached the end of their service life, and TfL and partners have been carrying out renewal works for a number of years to ensure that people using the A40 have safe and reliable journeys. This next phase of work involves replacing two joints on the Marylebone Flyover A40 Westway which allow the flyover to safely expand and contract with temperature changes and vehicle movements. This is complex and specialist work which requires a full carriageway closure. The nature of the work and the structure mean the carriageway can’t be reopened until the work is completed. TfL reviewed a range of options and concluded that closing the Westway is the best way to ensure the essential work is completed as quickly and safely as possible.

Though every effort will be made to reduce disruption, TfL recognises the closure will have a significant impact on road users. A comprehensive traffic signal strategy will be put in place to keep traffic moving as smoothly as possible during the closure, which will be continually reviewed as part of the ongoing management of the road network. As part of this necessary closure, bus routes in the area will be affected with changes to schedules and routes to help maintain reliability as much as possible.

People who use the A40 Westway to travel into London are advised that it will be closed during this period. Local routes and the official diversion route are expected to be busy with journeys likely to be delayed. TfL is advising those planning to use the A40 Westway to plan ahead and use alternative methods of travel. The latest status updates on how London’s roads are running can be found here. Travel advice is also available on the dedicated webpage. For any short trips, people are reminded that it is likely to be quicker and easier on foot, by cycle or by Tube. For the latest status updates on the Tube, visit tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/.

Stuart Harvey, TfL's Chief Capital Officer, said: "It’s vital that we ensure the A40 flyover is well maintained for the tens of thousands of people who use it each day. This essential work will allow the flyover to continue to be used safely. We appreciate that, though necessary, these works will cause disruption to journeys, and I’d like to thank people in the area for their patience. I’d encourage everyone to plan ahead and use alternative modes of transport where possible."

Following this full closure there will be weekend westbound closures at the Westway roundabout. For more information, visit www.tfl.gov.uk/westway. Please check before you travel, the latest status updates on how London’s roads are running can be found here. The latest travel information for the Tube can be found on the TfL website or TfL Go app.