Whitechapel traffic chaos set to last all summer

Traffic chaos raged through the Whitechapel area last week – and the bad news is that it is set to go on till September.

The traffic situation was already bad due to the Transport for London (TfL) roadworks that stretch along Whitechapel Road, Mile End Road and Bow Road – a route which takes a heavy load of through traffic east and west across Tower Hamlets. Now traffic is down to a single lane in many places, some traffic lights have been replaced by temporary signals, and some right turns are prohibited during parts of the day (keeping traffic on the road for longer as cars seek alternative places to turn off).

The works are, unbelievably, scheduled to last for a whole year – which must surely be a lot longer than it took the Romans to build the road in the first place (and they only had men and shovels). This has slowed traffic considerably – increasing the amount of pollution the traffic emits on our borough’s roads.

Matters grew worse last week when Thames Water moved in and shut a section of Vallance Road so that it could upgrade a water main. Vallance Road is a small road, but it’s also an important route north/south taking traffic between Bethnal Green and Whitechapel (and sometimes further south). Southbound traffic is being forced into a diversion along Underwood Road, Deal Street, Hanbury Street and Greatorex Street. Much of this alternative route is one-way, so once they are on it, cars cannot escape.

Northbound traffic is also affected. Some vehicles are entering Vallance Road (including large lorries) and when they get to the closure point they find they have to turn round in the narrow streets to come out again. Other drivers, ones who see the “road closed” signs in time, are avoiding turning into Vallance Road, but they are then staying on Whitechapel Road until they can reach alternative roads to drive north on – adding to the congestion on the main road.

During rush hour, queues to get on to Whitechapel Road from Greatorex Street, which used to go back around a dozen cars, are now four or five times as long. Long tailbacks are building up throughout the day and local businesses are complaining that every few minutes a cacophony of car hooting breaks out as drivers vent their frustrations. Businesses have also complained that deliveries around the area which used to take 20-30 minutes are now taking over two and a half hours – with businesses having to absorb the cost.

The chaos is likely to be particularly bad in the coming month as the holy month of Ramadan is likely to boost the number of visits being made to the East London Mosque. Not only does traffic to the Mosque have to go along the affected routes, but there is an increase in the number of pedestrians, who hold up traffic when they cross (and have to breathe in the extra pollution).

Thames Water told East London News that the work was important and they had tried to be considerate when scheduling it. “We’re sorry to customers affected by our works,” they said, “however it is essential we strengthen this large, 20-inch in diameter water pipe to reduce the risk of it bursting in the future and causing huge disruption to the area. We’ve planned the work alongside TfL and the council to mostly coincide with school holidays, reducing the traffic impact. We will work as fast as we can to try to complete the works ahead of schedule.”

Thames Water confirmed the work was due to go on until mid-September, with Vallance Road likely to remain closed throughout the working period. Of course no one wants to flood Whitechapel, so it is hard to oppose the works on the water main. It is, however, difficult to see how the works need a three month period to complete and also hard to see how the partners involved thought that having the works coinciding was satisfactory.

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