Proposed changes to Borough High Street at the junction with Marshalsea Road and Great Dover Street

Overview

We are proposing changes at the junction of Borough High Street with Marshalsea Road and Great Dover Street, in Southwark. The junction carries high volumes of traffic from Elephant and Castle and Bricklayers Arms towards London Bridge and Southwark Bridge. During the peak hours it can be heavily congested and this causes delays for the bus routes that use the junction, as well as for other road users. Borough Underground Station is located on the western corner of the junction, and there is high demand for pedestrian crossing points as a result. It has been the location of a high number of collisions, many of which involved pedestrians or cyclists.

We have looked closely at these issues and are now proposing a number of changes that are intended to make walking easier and safer and improve journey times, especially for the eight bus routes which pass through the junction.

What are we proposing?

Click here for a larger version of the above map (PDF) (minor revision were made to this map on 31 October 2017)

At the Borough High Street north arm, we are proposing to:

• Provide a new staggered signal-controlled pedestrian crossing. There is currently no signal-controlled crossing provision for pedestrians on this arm of the junction. We would need to ban the left turn from Marshalsea Road into Borough High Street in order to accommodate this
• Provide a short section of bus lane on the northbound carriageway, to connect with the existing bus lane to the north of the junction

At the Marshalsea Road arm of the junction, we are proposing to:

• Ban the left turn from Marshalsea Road onto Borough High Street, which would enable us to install a new staggered controlled crossing for people walking on Borough High Street without having a significant impact on the capacity of the junction
• Build out the kerb at the junction with Borough High Street (north) to enable the traffic stop line to be moved closer to the junction. This would increase the capacity of the junction and allow it to operate more efficiently, as well as enforcing the banned turn from Marshalsea Road and providing more space for people walking
• Modify the existing traffic island and staggered crossing to improve its operation, whilst optimising traffic signal timings to increase the number of vehicles that can pass through the junction and allowing sufficient crossing time for pedestrians. There would be more space for pedestrians to wait

At the Great Dover Street arm, we are proposing to:

• Realign and reduce the distance between the crossing points at the existing staggered crossing. This would help pedestrians to complete their crossing more quickly
• Provide a right turn only lane to improve the flow of traffic through the junction and reduce congestion
• Narrow the width of the existing traffic island to maximise the width of the new right-turn lane. This would help reduce congestion and potential conflicts between vehicles without compromising pedestrian safety or comfort.
• Modify the kerb line at the junction with Borough High Street (south) so that it is easier for larger vehicles, including buses, to make the turn

At the Borough High Street south arm:

• Change the nearside lane to become left turn only except buses, to allow buses to have priority on the approach to the junction
• Change the hours of operation of the northbound bus lane from 07:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 19:00 Monday to Saturday, to 07:00 to 19:00,  Monday to Sunday, to improve bus journey times

Our proposals also include new Advanced Stop Lines at all junction arms, to enable cyclists to position themselves at the front of waiting traffic and progress safely across the junction.

Pedestrian countdown signals would also be installed on all arms of the junction.

Changes to traffic movements

Banning the left turn from A3201 Marshalsea Road to A3 Borough High Street would mean that traffic wanting to travel north from Marshalsea Road would need to take a different route to re-join the A3 Borough High Street. Vehicles would be required to access Borough High Street via Southwark Bridge Road and Union Street, or Great Dover Street and Bricklayers Arms Roundabout.

Why are we proposing this?

These proposals form part of a long-term vision to encourage more Londoners to walk and cycle by making London’s streets healthier, safer, and more welcoming. Currently, only 34 per cent of Londoners take 20 minutes of physical activity on any given day. The new bus priority and pedestrian improvements are designed to help encourage more people to use these active and sustainable modes of transport.

Have your say and next steps

We would like to know what you think about our proposals.

Please give us your views by completing the online survey below by Monday 11 December 2017.

Alternatively, you can:

• Email us at consultations@tfl.gov.uk
• or write to us at FREEPOST TFL CONSULTATIONS

You can also request paper copies of all the consultation materials and a response form by emailing consultations@tfl.gov.uk, or writing to FREEPOST TFL CONSULTATIONS.

Subject to approval after consultation, works could begin summer 2018.