Visitor Comments:

Matthew Smith:

There's actually an even more pathetic aspect to the M41/A3220 controversy on your roads site. There are signs for "White City" which have been obscured, as it refers to a new development at White City which is not yet open. Thing is, the interchange off the ex-M41 is complete, and the traffic lights are working, and SWITCHED ON, and yet the exits from the A3220 are blocked off! Talk about wasting money and electricity.

Phillip Perry has an observation, and a question:

I wish they would bring it back, well re-instate it anyway.
Not only was it my first motorway I drove on along with the A40(M) after I past my driving test in 1985, it's still the closest to my home.
And even at the time my Dad's 1962 Moggy (Morris Minor) managed to get up to the full 60MPH as it was then.

As for the rest of the West Cross Route south of the Holland Park Roundabout, can anybody else who lives/lived in the Fulham, Earls Court, West Kensington, Hammersmith, Shepherd's Bush area in the late 80's remember about the plans for the WEIR? (Western Environmental lmprovement Road). Or am I going mad? i cannot find out anything on the internet about it, nor can anyone seem to remember. i know i didn't imagine it.

As I've since found out it followed the almost exact same route as the WCR on or alongside the West London Line as far as Cheyne Walk (Chelsea Embankment).

Can anyone help Phillip out?

Matt Quinn:

For a period a few years ago I lived on the A3220 northbound (in Finborough Road south of Earl's Court), and I have a recollection of my landlord mentioning that the reason he hadn't done anything about doing up the place I lived in was that he didn't want to waste the money - because of persistent rumours that road would be bypassed by an extension of the M41 similar to what Phillip said.

If it happened of course, the A3220 would no longer run along the road and the house value would go up dramatically. I know the A3220 through Earls Court is a traffic jam quite frequently, but hey, it's in London, so that's not really a surprise.

Philip Perry writes more [Oct 08]:

All the things that Matthew stated above was true about the traffic lights and such, but they have blown or switched off, however I have an update.

For the past few months the southbound slip-roads of the junction have been used as an 'unofficial' bus stand whilst the 2 new bus stations for the White City shopping centre have taken shape.

But on Thursday 30th October 2008, the junction along with the shopping centre (and the traffic lights) will finally open to the public, also for a good view of the junction have a look at the awful British film: Johnny English starring Rowan Atkinson and Natalie Imbruglia, there's a scene where Natalie is on a motorbike following Rowan and they are at the roundabout above the A3220.

Take a look at these pics of the A3220 for a better view. (Not taken by me).
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/425236
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/425193
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/425009

Nick Barber writes [Nov 08]:

Living in Battersea from the mid-60s to early 90s I was very much aware of the  rather cynically-named Western Environmental Improvement Route and its predecessor the Motorway Box.

The problem is, and has always been, the Earl's Court One-Way System, and the WEIR was planned to relieve this by a line built above the West London Railway,culminating at the point on Clapham Common North Side where the A3 and A205 diverge with a roundabout and (?) underpass.

I went to a "consultation" at Battersea Town Hall in about 1988 at which the scheme was presented. If I remember correctly it was proposed by Westminster and Wandsworth councils (the former of which had, I think, built the Westway?).

As this was around the time of the last Archway enquiry, destructive urban road schemes were not popular,but I think that the recession put paid to it, combined with the astronomical cost of acquiring land.