Projects
Phase One Safety, Maintenance & Enabling Works
The Phase One improvements will enhance the pedestrian experience and address a number of underlying maintenance issues in readiness for the opening of the Elizabeth Line and in advance of the broader Oxford Street District programme.
The improvements include maintenance works covering; carriageway; drainage; street lighting, signage and better pavements.
Work to date has taken place on sections along the full length of Oxford Street and has included:
- Repaving 4,215m2 of pavements
- Repairing 58 utility covers
- Improving 2km of road markings
- Improvements to 42 tree pits
- Jet washing and surveying 220 drainage gullies
- Repairing street lighting
- fixing drainage issues
Before:
After:
In order to safely and efficiently complete these Phase One works a number of carriageway closures are planned from late May 2019 onwards. These closures will restrict sections of the Oxford Street carriageway to one-way traffic to allow for bus stop resurfacing, footway paving and deep drainage repairs. Access for pedestrians will be retained at all times.
See news section for detailed updates on directional closures.
Ramillies Street and Ramillies Place
The Ramillies Street work package is bordered by Oxford Street to the north, and Great Marlborough Street to the south, and is currently used as a vehicles and pedestrian short cut route. The project area is dominated by loading and servicing to large buildings facing onto Argyle and Oxford Street, which affects the quality of the public realm.
The scheme aims to create a more appealing, accessible and pedestrian friendly public realm through streetscape enhancement. These improvements include better walking and cycling experience for everyone, with better quality lighting to improve safety, the planting of additional trees, and the provision of new seating. The stairs to the north of Ramillies Street, leading to Oxford Street, will also be modified so that they are more accessible, and will be supplemented by wayfinding to encourage pedestrians into the area.
A number of traffic changes are also proposed, including the clustering of loading provision, and most importantly the restriction of loading activities to between midnight and midday, and the creation of a walking and cycling priority zone. Vehicular traffic will be prevented from accessing Ramillies Place and Street via Hills Place by a bollard. This is in an attempt to control vehicular traffic from dominating the block.
In collaboration with The Photographer’s Gallery, the experience of the public realm is to be reinterpreted and enhanced through the display of artwork on building facades, and on banners. The extension of the Gallery’s artistic programme into the public realm, will serve as a focal point for pedestrians, which will in turn provide a distinct identity for the project area.
Images: Andreas Lechthaler Architecture
Images: Andreas Lechthaler Architecture Artworks © Shirley Baker Estate
The intention is to finalise the detailed design, incorporating the Traffic Management Order consultation responses, by Autumn, and for construction to begin in early 2020
Future Work
Modelling of proposed traffic changes across the whole Oxford Street District is currently underway and will inform detailed design of individual work packages. Work has also begun on district-wide interventions including air quality and freight, servicing and the future management of the district.
We continue to involve local residents, businesses and other stakeholders in the detailed development of the Oxford Street District programme, including through regular Zonal Working Group meetings.
Delivery of the Strategy will take a number of years and will be carefully programmed and managed to minimise disruption to residents, businesses and visitors. Information on each future work package will be added to this website as they develop.