Tottenham Court Road to be overhauled in £26m revamp

Tottenham Court Road will be re-designed with new public spaces under a £26m scheme

Tottenham Court Road will be reserved for buses and bicycles only during daylight hours from Monday to Saturday.

Camden Council wants to make the central London street safer and boost business ahead of the opening of a new Crossrail station in 2018.

The current one-way system will be replaced with tree-lined, two-way traffic flows to help cut congestion.

Wider pavements, cycle lanes and safer pedestrian crossings will also be installed as part of the £26m plan.

Only buses, cycles and local access will be allowed on Tottenham Court Road from 08:00 to 19:00 Monday to Saturday under the scheme announced by Camden Council.

Four new public spaces will be created including a new pedestrianised plaza at the foot of Centre Point next to the new Crossrail station.

A new park will be built in Alfred Place and wider pavements and direct pedestrian crossings will be installed on Tottenham Court Road and New Oxford Street.

Tottenham Court Road will be overhauled to reduce congestion

Protected cycle lanes will be installed on Gower Lane and University College London will receive an extra wide crossing.

A new network of safe cycle routes will connect Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia with the West End.

Camden Council said the current one-way system on Tottenham Court Road and Gower Street increased journey times and caused confusion for bus passengers whose bus routes start and end on different streets.

Camden Councillor Phil Jones said: "Our ambitious West End Project will transform the Tottenham Court Road area into one of London's premier commercial, cultural and academic districts."

Camden Council will hold a public consultation on the changes from 9 June until 18 July.