please empty your brain below
I recently commented on this phenomenon and it is rather worrying. We had a public enquiry for the Thameslink Programme and were told that Blackfriars Underground Station would be closed for 18 months (now scheduled for around 33 months) and Blackfriars National Rail station closed for only four weeks (now due to be closed for access/egress for eight weeks starting later this year). Furthermore I do not recall any mention of the misery proposed for years on end at London Bridge station when trains to/from Cannon Street followed by trains to/from Charing Cross will not stop there to assist rebuilding works. I am very much for the project but why cannot people be honest and realistic? Thameslink is not alone - it is simply the worst case with which I am familiar.

Pedantic of Purley | 09.08.10 - 2:35 a.m. | #

As a only vaguely related comment, the stairs that connect my subway station to the streetcar platform in Toronto closed for construction last fall. In January of this year an official TTC notice went up on the barrier stating, "Opening May 2010". Nothing changed for a long while. Then in July someone grabbed a Sharpie and modified the sign to "Opening Maybe 2010". I'm still waiting, but at least getting a laugh when I see the graffiti.

Oliver | 09.08.10 - 5:13 a.m. | #

Another slightly related Spring 2010 target missed is the DLR extension from Canning Town to Stratford International. The "What's Next" page on the DLR website still mentions train testing commencing in Spring 2010. There hasn't been a train on the track yet though! And no-one seems to know when there will be...

Tim | 09.08.10 - 10:00 a.m. | #

A reminder that Three Mills Lock has a number of functions. While it is disappointing that no construction materials used the river, the lock is by no means a white elephant and will deliver benefits for decades to come.

logistical | Homepage | 09.08.10 - 1:14 p.m. | #

DG, the links to the T12 bridge planning docs don't work.

Ghostface | 09.08.10 - 2:28 p.m. | #

The links do work - for me at any rate. But this illustrates another problem. Sticking a "mighty-big" (he did warn you) file on a typically underpowered council website that you cannot realistically access does not do much for local democracy.

Pedantic of Purley | 09.08.10 - 2:56 p.m. | #

logistical: Three Mills Lock is a complete white elephant for its intended purpose, transporting freight before the Games. But as a means of making the upper rivers non-tidal, yes, it'll be a fantastic thing to have afterwards in the legacy phase.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 09.08.10 - 6:19 p.m. | #

We got caught out by all this a couple of months ago, having alighted at Stratford High St with the intention of walking to the viewing tube along the Greenway. Would have given up and gone home again had there not been a typed notice on a fence down near the canal, presumably from a helpful resident, giving alternative directions!

CornishCockney | 09.08.10 - 7:20 p.m. | #

Out of interest have you tried contacting whoever was responsible for closing the path to ask when they are going to re-open it and pointing out it's long overdue?

Maybe a letter to your local paper may yield some results?

Jon Combe | 09.08.10 - 9:28 p.m. | #

With regard to the closure of "The Greenway" from Stratford High Street to Pudding Mill Lane Station I contacted the people at "The Olympic Construction Hotline" today and they informed me that their works are complete and that the site had been taken over by Crossrail and to contact them direct for further information.

Fishislandskin | 09.08.10 - 11:32 p.m. | #

Crossrail, eh?

Well, they're bloody hopeless at explaining to people what they're blocking off, for how long, and what the diversions are.

I've found the official works notice here:
http://www.crossrail.co.uk/ny/pdf/Pudding_Mill_Lane_110610_final.pdf

"Work is estimated to start on 30/06/2010 and finish on 30/09/2013"

Sigh.

But according to that notice, if I've read the not-very-informative map properly, the Greenway is supposed to stay open throughout. And it isn't.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 09.08.10 - 11:48 p.m. | #

I'm so glad you've mentioned the ongoing closure of Three Mills Lock footpath. It is quite an interesting walk from Limehouse Basin to Stratford via Three Mills and I'd like to do it again one day. Newham has the worst health outcomes in all of London and they need to do everything they can to encourage walking.

Steve | 10.08.10 - 4:46 p.m. | #

DG: if you are saying it was a waste for its intended purpose, you need to know what that intended purpose was. In fact there were several: carry building materials to Olympic Park: fail; Allow landscaping within the Olympic Park to take place in a drained river: success; allow Olympic park to have nice river instead of muddy tidal river: success; carry waste from Olympic construction sites and Olympics: success so far; increase land values for homes built on Olympic park: presume success; carry building material to legacy projects: ?. Add also benefits to leisure boaters, security benefits, reduce risk of sewage flowing up into the
Olympic site. As I said, its a major asset for London. Less than 10% of the funding for the lock was justified by the freight benefits during Olympic construction.

logistical | Homepage | 11.08.10 - 2:05 p.m. | #

This is well researched and written. The Olympic site is just like the land enclosures of centuries ago. The land has been seized and we are not allowed access.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_enclosure

Bow Resident | Homepage | 11.08.10 - 5:09 p.m. | #

The ODA made promises London Cycling Campaign that the Greenway closure would be limited to a year. Shortly before that year expired Crossrail announced their closure, sparing the ODA's blushes somewhat in a very happy co-incidence

leedelta | Homepage | 12.08.10 - 10:56 p.m. | #

...and the Britsh Waterways' closure of the Bow Creek (Channelsea River) path couldn't re-open after the completion of The Prescott Lock because the path was deemed too dangerous by owners Thames Water, so obviously not BW's fault at all, and Thames Water evidently aren't in any hurry to dip into their profits.

leedelta | Homepage | 12.08.10 - 11:01 p.m. | #











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