Hammersmith Flyover could be demolished for tunnel

The council said the flyover had severed the traditional Victorian street pattern in the borough

The Hammersmith Flyover could be demolished and replaced with a tunnel in a bid to reconnect communities separated by the road.

The proposal from Hammersmith and Fulham Council forms part of its draft Local Plan, which will go out for consultation if it is approved by the cabinet on Monday.

The flyover, which was opened in 1961, was intended to reduce the levels of traffic in Hammersmith. The draft plan however noted that it "had adverse consequences, cutting off Hammersmith Town Centre from the River Thames, severing the traditional Victorian street pattern and creating large amounts of traffic".

The council hopes its 15-year plan will be ready for adoption in November 2027.

Removing the Hammersmith Flyover and parts of the A4 and replacing it with a tunnel, dubbed a "flyunder", would release land for development while improving the town centre's noise and pollution levels, the council said in its draft plan.

The flyover was opened in 1961 with the hopes of reducing traffic in Hammersmith

It said it would "work with Transport for London (TfL) and other stakeholders" on the project and hoped the cost of the tunnel would be paid off by monetising the land freed up by removing the flyover.

A feasibility study from 2013-14 found traffic on the A4 would be disrupted for about 18 months if the works were progressed, which is half of the overall construction time, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Any project that comes forward will need to carefully consider this in detail against the construction methodology and design of any tunnel to ensure these impacts are minimised," the draft plan stated.

"This will also have to be weighed up against a do-nothing scenario, which would involve substantial traffic disruptions associated with regular maintenance or upgrading of the flyover."

A spokesperson for TfL said they had "no plans" to replace the flyover.

"Each borough's local plan sets out its long-term vision and we are always open to discussing any element of these," they added.