Telecoms works close entry to Park Avenue from South Road in Southall
Temporary traffic lights went up at one of Southall's busiest junctions, next to the former Glassy Junction pub, in the run-up to the town's Diwali celebrations.
Drivers in Southall faced delays after telecoms works closed part of the South Road junction with Park Avenue, close to Southall station.
Temporary traffic lights were in place on South Road on Thursday 29 October. Eastbound entry into Park Avenue from South Road was closed, and drivers were sent on a diversion.
Traffic information from Transport for London advised drivers to use another route and warned of possible delays. The works were due to finish that week, but no reopening date had been confirmed.
A busy corner
The works sit at the foot of the landmark building at 97 South Road. It was once the Railway Tavern and later became famous as Glassy Junction, often called London's first Indian pub. Its old rooftop sign still stands, and the ground floor is now home to the Saravanaa Bhavan vegetarian restaurant.
Red barriers, cones, a "Road closed" sign and a yellow diversion sign were set up across the mouth of Park Avenue, while the footways along South Road stayed open.
South Road is the main route between Southall Broadway and the station, which is served by the Elizabeth line, and it carries a large amount of bus and car traffic every day. Even short lane closures around the station and the railway bridge can cause queues to build quickly.
Park Avenue is a residential road running east from South Road. It lies within Ealing Council's Zone L controlled parking zone for Southall.
Diwali traffic
The timing worried many in the area. Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November this year, and Southall is one of London's best-known places to celebrate it. Every year the Broadway and the streets around it are packed with shoppers buying sweets, clothes, gifts and fireworks in the days before the festival.
Locals said traffic in the town was already under pressure, and that any works still in place could add to the congestion expected over the festive weekend.
What drivers should do
Drivers heading for Park Avenue are advised to allow extra time and to follow the signed diversion while the works continue. Up-to-date information on roadworks and closures is published on TfL's status updates and on Ealing Council's roadworks pages.
The operator carrying out the telecoms works has not been named publicly. It has not yet been confirmed whether the junction has fully reopened.