Emergency road closures for water main repairs outside Baker Street Tube station

04 December 2015

Transport for London (TfL) is advising drivers and other road users of lane closures at the junction of Marylebone Road and Baker Street from tonight until Monday morning at the latest. This is to carry out emergency repairs to a water main that is leaking into the London Underground station.

The road closures, which will take place from 20:00 tonight (Friday 4 December) until 06:00 on Monday (7 December) include:

  • Banned right turn from Marylebone Road onto Baker Street;
  • Baker Street reduced to one lane;
  • Lane closures in both directions on Marylebone Road.

Thames Water contractors will be working throughout the night over the weekend to get the repairs completed as quickly as possible. TfL officers will be working with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Roads and Transport Policing Command to manage traffic around the works, and the flow of traffic will be monitored and managed from TfL's Traffic Control Centre.

Garrett Emmerson, TfL's Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport, said: `We apologise for the disruption these emergency Thames Water works may have to the road network around Baker Street this weekend. The urgent nature of the work means they will work throughout the night to ensure they are complete as quickly as possible. Drivers are advised to plan ahead to avoid disruption and to leave extra time for their journeys. We'll be providing real-time information throughout the weekend via @TfLTrafficNews and on our website.'

These emergency works are to fix a water main that is leaking into a Tube tunnel leading into the Baker Street station below. If repairs aren't urgently made it would have the potential to impact on Tube services.

Ian Noble, Thames Water's Head of Networks, said: `We're sorry to anyone affected by our roadworks this weekend, but it is absolutely essential we fix this leak to prevent it from becoming worse. Our teams will be working around the clock and plan to be finished before the Monday morning rush hour.'

Drivers and other road users are advised to plan alternative routes to avoid the disruption, and to leave extra time for their journeys. Some bus services may be curtailed or on diversion. TfL will be tweeting road users and updating its website to provide real-time information on traffic levels in the area. Digital road signs will be placed along the approaches to the area to advise drivers of the disruption.