Andrew Rosindell M.P. Demands Answers As TfL Finally Moves to Reopen Gallows Corner.
The Member of Parliament for Romford , Andrew Rosindell M.P. has today demanded answers from Transport for London after being told that the Gallows Corner junction is expected to reopen by the end of September.
TfL has told Mr Rosindell that the roundabout and flyover will reopen with all diversions, speed restrictions and weight restrictions removed. Only reinstatement and resurfacing remain to be completed, requiring one full weekend closure and two overnight closures. TfL has undertaken to write to residents with the exact dates.
The junction initially closed to general traffic in June 2025. TfL’s published notices at the time stated the closure would run until September 2025, only three months.
The completion date then moved to spring 2026, then to the end of April 2026. A partial reopening in May left the flyover shut westbound and the A12 southbound restricted to buses.
The junction will now reopen fifteen months after it closed.
“This is welcome news and it is very long overdue,” said Mr Rosindell.
“Nobody in Romford should mistake this for a job well done. Residents were initially told three months of disruption and have instead endured fifteen. That is over a year of lost trade, diverted school runs, hospital journeys, and businesses watching their customers drive elsewhere. If TfL can be believed this time, it ends this month.”
He continued:
“Businesses on the Southend Arterial Road have had a temporary cut to their rateable values, and that is welcome as far as it goes. But a business that lost most of its custom has been given up to 20 per cent off a tax bill. That is not sufficient compensation for fifteen months of lost trade and does little for the offices excluded from the scheme. Additionally, this reduction ends the moment the works do.”
Mr Rosindell has called on TfL to compensate the businesses and residents who have shouldered the cost of the overrun, and to publish the final cost of the scheme.
TfL put the planned total for the works at £63.8 million in a response to a Freedom of Information request in July 2025. The final figure is yet to be made public.
Mr Rosindell said that the more serious question was what the episode revealed about TfL’s ability to deliver future work in the borough.
“This was not an emergency. The flyover was built in the 1970s as a temporary structure and everybody has known for decades that it would have to be replaced. TfL had years to plan it and still got the timetable wrong by a factor of five. That does nothing to inspire confidence in the next project, and there will be a next project. I want a full explanation of how this happened, and I want it on the record.”
He added:
“In July last year TfL told a member of the public in writing that the works were on programme and cost. Five weeks later the deadline passed. And the water main diversion TfL points to was inside TfL’s own £63.8 million budget from the beginning. This was plainly their scheme to manage, and they said it was on track when it was not.”
He concluded:
“I will keep pressing until Romford has the full explanation, the final figures, and the compensation that our businesses and residents are owed. Romford deserves better from the Mayor of London and TfL”.
Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!
We have created community pages where we will share our up-to-date stories happening in the area. Add the area closest to where you live.
Discover more from The Havering Daily
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The project manager for TFL should be sacked along with the project manager of ESW along with Khan the whole concept, cost control , project scheduling and site management of this flyover replacement was a debacle , l am surprised that the so called work force have worn boots out wandering aimlessly around the site along with the seat of there pants sitting around. suppose repetitive strain injuries through excessive mobile phone usage hasn’t also been incurred . once the dust has settled and the total cost is known along with compensation payed . tfl need to have a serious lessons learnt session as they are looking to replace the flyover on the A13 in Barking ( this will cause utter chaos, currently it’s a two year closure which if TFL perform as they did at gallows corner will be more like four years. working round the clock would have been a better option . not like gallows corner where TFL claimed to be working 24/ 7 which clearly wasn’t the case . l ask TFL to state what progress was achieved during this claim
Well done Andrew for raising this issue and trying to hold the head of TFL accountable