TfL Says Its ‘Very Sorry’ For Gallows Corner Delays.

Transport for London says it is “very sorry” for the continued delays in repairing a busy Romford flyover writes local democracy reporter Sebastian Mann.

Repairs to Gallows Corner, which links London to Essex, were originally stated to be finished this month.

However, the project has been heavily delayed by nearby waterworks and Transport for London (TfL) has not provided a new end date.

In a letter to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, Romford MP Andrew Rosindell said “people were suffering”.

He has called on the Department for Transport to “urgently” clarify a new timeline, adding: “Romford has waited far too long for real action at Gallows Corner.

“We cannot accept further excuses or delays while local people suffer.”

He said that concurrent road closures elsewhere in the borough, such as those in Rise Park and Gidea Park, have “compounded the disruption”. Business owners have reportedly suffered a loss of trade, while locals face “unacceptable journey times, traffic congestion, and in some cases, total gridlock in residential streets”.

In response, a TfL spokesperson said: ”We are very sorry for the disruption caused to local residents and businesses by essential work at Gallows Corner.

“The renewal of the ageing Gallows Corner flyover is essential to ensuring safety and reliability of the road network in Havering and working together with Essex & Suffolk Water to replace an ageing water main at the same time as work on the flyover will help to avoid future disruption.”

She added that the transport body “recognised the impact that this delay to the project is having on people in the area” and said it was “urgently working with our partners to confirm a new completion date”.

A spokesperson for Havering Council, which is working alongside TfL on the repairs, said councillors “sympathised” with the MP’s frustrations over the delays and “the disruption this continues to cause to Havering residents”.

Council leader Ray Morgon said it was “encouraging” to see some progress being made on the south side of the junction, following a visit earlier this month.

However, top councillors are “extremely concerned that complications encountered during tunnelling, which should have been picked up by the ground condition assessments, are now resulting in significant slippage for completion of the flyover.

“We know the impact this is having on our borough. It is affecting residents, businesses, schools, emergency services, and public services. It is also delaying the delivery of the council’s wider highways programmes.”

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