Putney Bridge junction works to give traffic more green time and improve journeys

The council has been pushing through urgent changes to the junction which will reduce waiting time for traffic on Lower Richmond Road by relocating the main pedestrian crossing point to the centre of the junction and altering the traffic islands and signals.

The changes are designed to significantly improve green light time for traffic turning left onto Putney Bridge, while maintaining a safe crossing for pedestrians.

Councillor Robert Morritt, Leader of Wandsworth Council, said: “People here have been very clear with us about the impact of congestion in Putney, so we’re doing what we said we would do and taking practical action to improve the situation.

“Changes we've made over the last few months on Putney Bridge Road and Putney High Street have already helped. These next works at Putney Bridge are about making sure traffic gets more green time and capacity is increased through the junction, making journeys more reliable.

“On behalf of residents, we've been pushing TfL to make these layout and signal changes as quickly as possible. We’ll continue listening to residents and making the changes needed to get Putney moving again.”

More green time for drivers

Drivers crossing Putney Bridge from Lower Richmond Road will benefit as the green light for left turns will increase from 25 seconds to around 42 seconds once the pedestrian crossing point on the bridge is relocated.

Currently, when the pedestrian crossing is activated, traffic leaving Lower Richmond Road is stopped at a red light.

The changes should also improve northbound traffic flow through Putney High Street and the wider junction.

The design of the new arrangement means that the small traffic island on Lower Richmond Road can also be removed.

Timeline

Works are scheduled to start from 1 December and take place in stages until March, starting with kerb works on the pedestrian island and relocating the CCTV. The most disruptive work will be carried out overnight to reduce the impact on traffic.

The Putney Bridge junction improvements form part of the council’s wider programme to reduce congestion in the area.

Other works to improve traffic flow

This is the latest step in new measures to improve Putney for vehicle, cycle and pedestrian traffic.

Recent changes include:

• Capacity improvements by increasing the lanes on Putney Bridge Road and the High Street, including removal of the traffic island outside Snappy Snaps
• Putney Bridge Road: removal of cycle lane wands on the approach to the junction
• Putney Bridge Road: reinstated original bus lane times
• Putney Embankment: installation of CCTV camera enforcement
• Putney High Street: road widening by the TK Maxx bus stop

• Putney High Street: new lane markings outside the station.

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Further information

The scheme is expected to cost around £450,000, including temporary traffic management and design fees. It follows a series of measures already introduced by the council to tackle congestion in Putney, including reinstating two approach lanes on Putney Bridge Road, changing bus lane operational hours, removing the traffic island outside Snappy Snaps and taking action to reduce rat-running on residential streets.