Essential maintenance work on the A40 Westway

22 November 2021
Major work will be taking place to carry out essential maintenance to the A40 Westway between the A40 Northern Roundabout and the Marylebone Road
"The A40 is key artery in west London and it's vital that we ensure it is well maintained for the tens of thousands of people who use it each day"
Nick Fairholme
Director of Projects and Programmes at TfL Surface

TfL will be carrying out essential maintenance work to the A40 Westway between the A40 Northern Roundabout and the Marylebone Road on weekends from the end of November through to Summer 2022 with the first closure in the eastbound direction to take place this weekend.

The A40 Westway is one of the busiest strategic routes on TfL's road network, normally used by nearly 100,000 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 avoid the busiest periods, with directional closures taking place at weekends.

The work, which is the first and most urgent of a range of works required on the flyover, will see some of the flyover's joints, which span the gaps between the concrete sections of the structure, replaced to ensure they remain safe.

The bridge deck will also be waterproofed to help protect the structure for years to come. To minimise the impact on nearby residents, TfL's contractor Costain will be using a special low-vibration method of concrete removal called hydro-demolition, which uses a high-pressure water jet to break down the concrete.

This is far quieter than traditional methods of concrete removal. The timings of any future phases of work to the flyover will depend on TfL's ongoing discussions with Government for long-term sustained investment in London, which is required to avoid a 'Managed Decline' scenario.

The A40 Westway will be closed eastbound from Friday 26 November 22:00 to Monday 29 November 05:00. Those travelling westbound will be able to use the A40 Westway as normal.

People using the A40 Westway to travel into London from the west 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 travelling into London over the Black Friday weekend (Friday 26 November to Monday 29 November) to plan ahead and use alternative methods of travel.

Those travelling locally are advised that shops and businesses will remain open throughout the maintenance works, however local roads are likely to be much busier.

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/.

Nick Fairholme, Director of Projects and Programmes at TfL Surface said: 'The A40 is key artery in west London and it's vital that we ensure it is well maintained for the tens of thousands of people who use it each day.

'This essential work will replace an operationally critical roller shutter expansion joint and allow the flyover to continue to be used safely.

'Further work will be necessary given the age of the infrastructure, which we plan to carry out subject to the relevant funding. We'd urge people to plan ahead before their journeys, using alternative modes of transport where possible.'

There will also be eastbound closures ahead of the Christmas period from Friday 3 December 22:00 to Monday 6 December 05:00 and Friday 10 December 22:00 to Monday 13 December 05:00.

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.

Notes to editors

  • The TfL Go app provides real-time information in a mobile-friendly way to enable customers travelling on Tube, bus and rail services across London to choose the easiest ways to get around
  • Until Summer 2022, TfL will be carrying out major maintenance works to the elevated section of the A40 Westway.  To minimise disruption during the week, Monday to Friday the Westway will remain open but will be restricted to two lanes of traffic in each direction
  • To complete the works safely, over some weekends we will need to close the A40 Westway in one direction only. From now until March 2022 these closures will be in an eastbound direction only

There will be:

  • Five overnight closures between 22:00 on Saturday nights until 08:00 on Sunday mornings
  • Eight full weekend closures from 22:00 on Friday evenings through to 05:00 on Monday mornings

There will also be additional weekend closures ahead of Christmas between:

  • Friday 3 December to Monday 6 December
  • Friday 10 December to Monday 13 December
  • For more information on work being carried out on the A40 Westway, visit tfl.gov.uk/westway