MAJOR DISRUPTION INCOMING: TfL tells drivers to AVOID A40 as major closure hits 96,000-vehicle-a-day route
- Perry Richardson
- Mar 16
- 3 min read
Transport for London (TfL) has warned drivers, taxi and private hire operators, and other road users to prepare for major disruption in west London as the A40 Westway closes in both directions from 1-pm on Friday 20 March until late April.
The closure will affect the route between the Westway roundabout and the Marylebone flyover, taking out one of the capital’s busiest strategic corridors for several weeks. TfL said the A40 Westway carries up to 96,000 vehicles a day, meaning pressure on surrounding roads is expected to be significant throughout the works.
According to TfL, the closure is needed so engineers can carry out safety-critical renewal work on the Marylebone Flyover. The latest phase involves replacing two joints that allow the structure to expand and contract safely as temperatures change and vehicles move across it.
TfL said the work is specialist and complex, and requires a full carriageway closure. Because of the nature of the structure and the repair, the road cannot be reopened until the work has been completed. The transport authority said it reviewed a range of options before deciding a full closure was the quickest and safest way to complete the job.
Safety-critical renewal work on the A40 Westway will shut a key stretch in both directions from the night of 20 March until late April.
The works are part of a longer-running programme on sections of the A40 infrastructure that TfL said have reached the end of their service life. Renewal activity has been under way for several years as part of efforts to keep the route safe and reliable for the tens of thousands of people and businesses that depend on it.
TfL said it had tried to limit the effect of the closure by timing part of the works to coincide with the Easter period, when traffic levels are usually lower, and by avoiding clashes with other major roadworks where possible. Even so, it has acknowledged that disruption will be substantial, particularly on local roads and the signed diversion route.
For taxi drivers and other trade operators working in west and central London, the closure is likely to add journey time, complicate Westfields and Paddington-related trips, and place extra strain on routes already prone to congestion. Bus services in the area will also be affected, with changes to routes and schedules planned to help maintain reliability.
TfL said a traffic signal strategy will be put in place and kept under review to try to keep vehicles moving as smoothly as possible during the closure. Road users are being advised to plan ahead and consider alternatives, with TfL saying that for shorter journeys it may be easier to walk, cycle or use the Tube.
With one of the network’s busiest roads shut for more than a month, drivers who depend on stable journey times in the area may need to build in extra contingency from 20 March through to the end of April.
Stuart Harvey, TfL's Chief Capital Officer, said: "It’s vital that we ensure the A40 flyover is well maintained for the tens of thousands of people who use it each day. This essential work will allow the flyover to continue to be used safely. We appreciate that, though necessary, these works will cause disruption to journeys, and I’d like to thank people in the area for their patience. I’d encourage everyone to plan ahead and use alternative modes of transport where possible."
