A £4 billion programme to upgrade London’s roads has begun work. It is part of Transport for London (TfL) and mayor of London Boris Johnson’s drive to cut the capital’s road deaths by 40 per cent before 2020, as well as increasing capacity for a growing population.

The scheme consists of hundreds of individual projects, including 17 major road improvements, 33 junction upgrades, four new cycle superhighways and replacing thousands of street lights with low-energy LED alternatives.

Leon Daniels, TfL’s managing director of surface transport, explained that the work is about “creating a greener, safer and more attractive London, including a radical improvement in conditions for cyclists.” He added: “This programme is changing London for the better and we must work with Londoners, businesses, boroughs and others to help people adapt.”
Managers plan to use similar systems to those in place during developments for the 2012 Olympics to ensure that disruption during this busy time is kept to a minimum.