IT MAY be early days but proposals to replace the Hammersmith Flyover with a tunnel have been given the thumbs up from members of the public.
A group of prominent west London architects revealed initial drawings earlier this month of how the land above the A4 could be used should Transport for London decide to demolish the crumbling structure and adopt the ‘flyunder’ plan.
The architects, known as West London Link, put pen to paper after its emergency closure in 2011, which raised serious questions about its longevity, and sketched a possible future for Hammersmith which included new homes, more green space and reconnecting the town with the river.
West Kensington resident and chair of hfcyclists, John Griffiths, said: "The presentation of the tunnel to replace Hammersmith Flyover was a magnificent vision. Much of the traffic in Hammersmith would disappear, and we could stroll down from the town hall to the river.
“The flyover presently removes through traffic from the centre of Hammersmith. The tunnel would do the same. For the tunnel plans to work there will have to be a tremendous reduction in local traffic. The use of private cars for local journeys would have to be drastically curtailed, and measures put in place to allow buses to flow freely, for cyclists not to feel threatened and for pedestrians to be able to cross the road with ease.
“All of this could be done now, and should be done now, if the council is serious about making Hammersmith a liveable town centre.”
Residents Jane Bramah and Nick Bastin echoed the sentiments.
She said: “Brilliant idea. The flyover is an eyesore. Architectural plans for the tunnel sound much more eco-friendly and sustainable.”
Mr Bastin added: “This is an absolute no brainer – it would repair the criminal damage done to the borough in the 60s, reunite residents with the river, create more usable living space and deliver tremendous regeneration potential.”
As well as reclaiming all the land along the A4, a tunnel would drastically improve the air quality in Hammersmith, which is one of the most polluted areas in London.
Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Nick Botterill, is fully behind the scheme and has been overwhelmed by the positive response so far.
He said: “The council has been inundated with supportive comments from residents backing a flyunder replacement for Hammersmith’s concrete eyesore flyover. Hammersmith and Fulham is uniting behind the flyunder idea as it would dramatically improve the quality of life for thousands of west Londoners and be a game changer for Hammersmith town centre.
“The hard work now begins to further explore the engineering challenges as well as the regeneration potential, which will help offset some of the costs, so we can submit a detailed feasibility study to TfL for their consideration.”
TfL owns the land and its officers are mulling over options.
Chief operating officer for surface transport, Garrett Emmerson, said: “We understand that the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is keen to look at proposals to replace the Hammersmith Flyover in more detail. We have discussed this with the borough recently and offered support to them in putting their case together for this project.
“Any plan to replace the flyover would need to be fully assessed, justified and funded through the wider redevelopment of the area.”
