In London’s busy streets, another roadblock emerges

Michael Simkins writes about the road closures for the Chinese leader's visit to London and on congestion in general in the British capital.

Xi Jinping's visit to London, where he met David Cameron, wasn't the only trafic-stopper in the UK capital. (Leon Neal / WPA Pool / Getty Images)

In the midst of all the pomp and ceremony surrounding Xi Jinping’s state visit to London last week (and the lucrative trade agreements that followed in its wake), another news item passed largely unnoticed: one that will affect the lives of Londoners far more directly than the building of any number of nuclear power stations.

The notoriously congested Euston underpass, one of the capital’s busiest roads, is to be closed – or, more precisely, two of its six lanes are to be taken out of service for a prolonged spell. Nothing very seismic in that you might think, except that the “prolonged spell” amounts to six years. Whichever way you look at it, we’re talking a whole lot of bollards, diversions and delays.

So lengthy is the period of disruption that during its course the world will see four separate solar eclipses, two UK general elections and two Olympic Games. A child born just as the first “Lane Closed” sign is put in place will have learnt to read the notice before it’s taken down again.

The reason for the disturbance is that the area known as Euston forms the conjunction of two ambitious and controversial public building projects. One is HS2, the new high-speed rail link linking London with the north of England that will terminate at nearby Euston station. The second is Crossrail, connecting Heathrow airport in the west of London to Stratford (site of the 2012 Olympics) in the east, and which involves the burrowing of 21 kilometres of twin bore tunnels underneath London’s streets.

The Government has assured Londoners that such minor nuisances as the closing of the Euston underpass will be worth the inconvenience once HS2 and Crossrail are up and running, if only we can live long enough to enjoy them. And as compensation, the city’s railway transport system now functions far more effectively than even a decade ago.

Which is just as well, because motorists discover each and every day just how hard it is to drive anywhere in London – Euston underpass or not – due to the sheer weight of traffic.

Goodness knows we’ve tried to sort the problem out. London was both innovative and inspired when it introduced the world’s first congestion charge in 2003, a scheme that compelled all car owners to pay a fee every time they drove into the city centre. The initiative soon had the desired effect, weeding out casual traffic and ensuring that only those with a genuine need to travel through the capital would still bother to venture there.

But before long the volume of cars increased once more. The congestion charge was gradually increased from £5 (Dh28) to £11.50 (Dh64), but traffic on London’s roads is nearly back to its previous volume.

But that’s just the start of the motorists’ problems. At the last count London had 6,000 separate sets of traffic lights, nearly a quarter of the nation’s total quantity. Thus a journey through the capital at peak times can take up to two hours to complete.

And even when you’ve arrived at your destination, you’ve got the problem of where to leave your vehicle. Central London car parks now demand up to £40 (Dh224) a day, while even a space by the roadside can have you checking your bank balance before getting out. And as for parking meters: they now require a degree in advanced computer studies to work out how to activate them and sufficient quantities of loose change to seriously threaten your car’s suspension.

The conclusion is inescapable. Unless you absolutely need to, don’t try to drive in central London just now. Use public transport, cycle or walk. You’ll feel so much better and arrive so much sooner. As for me, I’m driving through the Euston Underpass one last time this weekend, at the dead of night and hopefully without interruption. As with hopping on the back of a red London bus or sampling a plate of traditional fish and chips (as Mr Xi did last Friday with David Cameron), it’s one of the capital’s little pleasures that could soon be consigned to history.

Michael Simkins is an actor and writer in London

On Twitter: @michael_simkins