The Hogarth Roundabout is a major roundabout situated in Chiswick in west London. It connects the A4 Great West Road and the A316 Great Chertsey Road, two of the nine main radial roads to or from the city.[a] The final section of the A316 is Dorchester Grove (which becomes Chiswick Lane) to the north; the local road Church Street leads south to the conserved and affluent Old Chiswick riverside area.
The centre part of the roundabout is surfaced with grass and trees, and is crossed by a one-way flyover for eastbound traffic.
Roundabout
editThe roundabout is named after the eighteenth-century painter William Hogarth whose home Hogarth's House is behind a long high wall to the west of the junction.[2] The eastern approach abuts the Griffin Brewery of Fuller, Smith and Turner where beer has been brewed since 1654.[3] The south side has the 18th-century George and Devonshire pub.[4] Another pub by the roundabout, the Mawson Arms on Chiswick Lane, was sold along with the brewery to Asahi in 2019.[5]
The junction is important for road transport as it lies on the only direct route to Heathrow Airport from the City and the West End.
Flyover
editThe junction is noteworthy for the single-lane flyover to ease some eastbound traffic from the A316 onto the A4. It was built as a temporary measure in 1971, using the Bridgway format devised and offered to highway authorities by Marples Ridgeway Ltd.[6]
The flyover was quickly put together with a cheap steel frame and was designed to last no more than a few years. The central span has pairs of diagonal cross-braces to give the structure strength and help protect it against strong winds. The junction was included in the plans for the London Ringways, which were shelved in the latter years of the 20th century.[7] Had these been completed a more durable structure would have been put in place.
On 29 October 2013, after stormy winds the previous day, Transport for London inspectors discovered defects and closed the flyover, declaring it unsafe. Garrett Emmerson stated that its engineers identified a degradation in the concrete deck of the flyover. Traffic flow was therefore reduced, with peak time queues back to the Hammersmith flyover to the east and similarly to the west.[8]
Following on from this closure a major refurbishment, incorporating a new deck, surface and parapets, allowed the flyover to reopen and confirmed its permanent status.[9] The work was completed in September 2014, at a total cost of £3 million.[10]
As of April 2024 vehicles using the flyover are limited to 2.0 metres (6.6 ft) width and 3.0 metric tons (3.0 long tons; 3.3 short tons) gross weight.
References
editCitations
edit- ^ Map of Middlesex sheet 21, Ordnance Survey, 1868–1883
- ^ Neville, Mike (2017). Crime and the Craft – Masonic Involvement in Murder, Treason and Scandal. Fonthill Media. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-781-55621-4.
- ^ "Fuller's sells London Pride Beer Business to Asahi". Hounslow Chamber. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ Historic England. "THE GEORGE AND DEVONSHIRE ARMS PUBLIC HOUSE (1358664)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ "End of an era: Fuller's "Brewery Tap" closes". The Chiswick Calendar. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ "News and Views: Instant flyover". Autocar. 128 (3759): 57. 29 February 1968.
- ^ "Ringways". CBRD. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
- ^ "Flyover Closed At Hogarth Roundabout". Chiswick W4. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
- ^ "Hogarth Flyover". Retrieved 9 November 2015.
- ^ Parker, David (3 September 2014). "Rapid refurb of tired Hogarth flyover complete ahead of schedule". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
Footnotes
edit- ^ The others are the A2, A20, A23, A3, A47 (for M1), A1, and A12 (for M11)
External links
edit- To Gin Lane Via Hogarth's Roundabout Archived 5 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- SABRE road lists Archived 9 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- CBRD Photo Gallery