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Route

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The Hanger Lane Gyratory on the North Circular is one of the most congested junctions in London, carrying over 10,000 vehicles per hour.

The North Circular Road has seen substantially more investment than its counterpart, the South Circular Road, and consequently runs on more purpose-built road than urban streets, often coupled with demolition of existing houses and urban infrastructure.[1][2] Although the route has alternative names at some points, it is generally referred to as the North Circular throughout for route planning purposes. The route is mostly grade-separated dual carriageway from the A40 at Hanger Lane to the A13 in Beckton except for the Drury Way/Brentfield Road junction, the Golders Green Road/Brent Street junction, Henlys Corner and the section from Bounds Green to Green Lanes.[3] In areas where improvements made slowest progress and upgrades are unlikely, the original names such as Gunnersbury Avenue and Bowes Road are used.[4]

The road begins in Gunnersbury at the Chiswick Flyover (junction 1 of the M4), from which the South Circular Road (A205) heads south over Kew Bridge. The first section runs along Gunnersbury Avenue through Gunnersbury Park to Ealing Common, where it becomes Hanger Lane. The road crosses the railway west of Paddington Station to the Hanger Lane Gyratory System, a large roundabout on top of Western Avenue (the A40) and Hanger Lane tube station. This is one of the busiest junctions in London, incorporating 10,000 vehicles an hour.[5] The A406 runs on a purpose-built road to the north of Hanger Lane Gyratory, and is referred to as "North Circular Road" on street signs. The road is a six-lane dual carriageway that connects the industrial estates in the area, and passes beneath the main railway line from Euston Station, near Stonebridge Park station. Beyond this, there is a junction with IKEA and the Neasden temple to the southeast, and the road runs across empty land past the Welsh Harp Reservoir.[6] Beyond the reservoir, there is a large interchange with Edgware Road (A5) and junction 1 of the M1 motorway at Staples Corner, and a junction for the Brent Cross Shopping Centre at the Brent Cross Interchange (joining the A41 from Finchley). This section of the North Circular was used for filming the car chasing sequences in Withnail And I.[3] Northeast of Brent Cross, at Henlys Corner, the North Circular briefly shares carriageways with the A1 which joins it from the left and leaves it to the right to head into Central London. The junction complex also serves a local road from Hampstead, and pedestrian traffic; consequently it is a major bottleneck on the route. Transport for London have invested in the junction, including a special hands free crossing for the local Jewish community, who can then cross the road on the Sabbath.[7] The road passes north of St Pancras and Islington Cemetery towards Friern Barnet and Muswell Hill. The road narrows to a two lane single carriageway to pass under a railway bridge, and continues as Telford Road towards Bounds Green.[8] Traffic on the North Circular Road must turn right from Telford Road into Bowes Road, which causes problems with heavy goods vehicles.[9] The road continues past densely packed housing and business areas before widening at Green Lanes and assuming the North Circular Road name again.[10]

At Bounds Green traffic lights, the North Circular Road is reduced to single carriageway which causes significant congestion

At Great Cambridge Interchange, its most northerly point, the A406 crosses Great Cambridge Road (A10). This leads onto the Lea Valley Viaduct that provides a safe crossing of the River Lea's flood plain. The viaduct is part of the original construction and was one of the first of its kind to be build using reinforced concrete.[3] Angel Road railway station is partially located beneath the flyover at Angel Road, in an area marked for redevelopment known as Meridian Water.[11] After the viaduct the road becomes Southend Road, passing north of Walthamstow, and immediately before the Crooked Billet junction, the former site of Walthamstow Stadium, a greyhound racing track.[12] It continues eastward, cutting through a southern section of Epping Forest and meeting the Woodford New Road at Waterworks Corner, before an elevated junction with the M11 motorway and Southend Road heading to Gants Hill.[4] The South Woodford to Barking Relief Road (the section between the M11 and A13) opened in 1987.[13] Previously, the A406 extended along Southend Road and Woodford Avenue as far east as Gants Hill.[14] The current route of the North Circular Road turns south, passing Eastern Avenue (A12) on a flyover at the Redbridge roundabout. It passes Romford Road (the historic Roman Road from London to Colchester) to the west of Ilford and London Road, Barking, and ends at a roundabout with the A13 Newham Way / Alfred's Way in Beckton.[4] To reach the Woolwich Ferry, traffic must follow local roads to the ferry terminal. This leads across the River Thames, connecting with the eastern end of the South Circular Road on the other side of the river. The junction with the A13 has been built to enable the North Circular to be continued across the junction to the Thames Gateway Bridge if and when it is built.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Weinreb 2008, p. 591.
  2. ^ "A406 timeline: a half century of broken promises". Enfield Independent. 8 October 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference driving was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c "Maps". Transport for London. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  5. ^ Edwards, Tom (1 October 2012). "Ealing battles to get HS2 to go underground". BBC News. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference commons51 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Mayor marks completion of improvements that have transformed Henlys Corner". Transport for London. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  8. ^ "A406 North Circular Bounds Green – plans revealed and public exhibition announced". Transport for London. 1 June 2005. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  9. ^ Enfield 2011, p. 13.
  10. ^ Enfield 2011, p. 6.
  11. ^ Meridian Water in Central Leeside (PDF). Greater London Council (Report). 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  12. ^ Former Walthamstow Stadium site (PDF) (Report). Waltham Forest Council. 3 June 2011. p. 7. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  13. ^ "A406 South Woodford to Barking Relief Road (Link Roads from Redbridge Roundabout to M11 Motorway) (Restriction of Traffic) Order 1986 Revocation Order 1987". London Gazette. December 1987. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  14. ^ London NE (sheet 161) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 1960.
  15. ^ Orbital Motorways. Institution of Civil Engineers. 24 April 1990. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-7277-1591-3.
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