Gridlock in Bow - Blackwall Northern Approach Road closed

If you have been wondering wondered why we have been experiencing total gridlock in recent days, the answer is the A12 is closed southbound at Bow Flyover and A102 Blackwall Northern Approach Road to the Blackwall Tunnel is also closed due to emergency repairs by Thames Water.

There is NO ACCESS TO THE A12 BLACKWALL TUNNEL NORTHERN APPROACH

As a result all the traffic which normally travels via the Blackwall Northern Approach has been rerouted via Mile End Road and Burdett Road. So we have gridlock and crawling traffic.

This is the official announcement from Transport for London - who finally got round to telling us all what is happening!

A102 (E14)
2013-12-17
[A12] Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach (Southbound) at the junction of Abbott Road. The A12 is closed southbound at the Bow Interchange due to emergency roadworks. The southbound exit from the Bow Roundabout is for access to the shopping centre and industrial estate ONLY, there is NO access to the A12 Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach.

The diversion route is from the A12 Bow Flyover: Westbound onto the A11 Bow Road: Southbound onto the A1205 Burdett Rd: Eastbound onto the A13 East India Dock Road to the junction with the Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach.

2013-12-20 (19:06) : Traffic is queuing southbound on the A12 with tailbacks to Tredegar Road. Traffic has eased on diversion, traffic on the A11/ A13 is normal for the time of day. The A1205 Burdett Road is moving well with slightly higher levels of traffic on diversion and the A406 southbound towards Beckton is also returning to normal for the time of day. Expect delays.

The announcement fails to note that the tailbacks from the roundabout to Tredegar Road have been in place since mid-afternoon!

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Olympics 2012: Missiles on top of Bryant & May Factory?

The old Bryant and May Factory in Fairfield Road in Bow is apparently adding missile site to its other claims to fame.

The factory is famous for many things:

1. The largest factory in London in the nineteenth century - it had been developed by William Bryant and Francis May in 1861 to make safety matches
2. This was where the London matchgirls strike of 1888 took place - leading to the first trade union for women
3. The factory led the fight against phossy jaw - a disease of matchworkers caused by the white phosphorus used in the manufacture of early matches
4. and now..... the site of missiles to protect the Olympics in 2012.  Apparently the Ministry of Defence require a tall building near the Olympic site for ground-based air defence systems as an anti-terrorist precaution.

The tower at the old Bryant and May Match Factory in Fairfield Road, Bow
- a future site for the missiles?

The factory was converted to residential accommodation in the 1980s and is now a private gated community comprising 19 town houses and 714 apartments - called The Bow Quarter.  

Residents have received an official communication - and it would seem have no choice about the new proposed use of the top of what is the old water tower.

Brian Whelan, a resident of the building, said the MoD leaflet said the missiles would only be fired as a last resort. He said: "They are going to have a test run next week, putting high-velocity missiles on the roof just above our apartment, and on the back of it they are stationing police and military in the tower of the building for two months
The Guardian - Missiles could be stationed on rooftops during London Olympics