Architects Present Plans for Hammersmith "Flyunder"

See their designs and discuss their ideas in Lyric Square on Saturday

West London Link Design, a group of nine respected local architects who are proposing the construction of a tunnel to replace the Hammersmith flyover - already nicknamed the "flyunder" - are presenting their ideas to the public in Lyric Square on Saturday, July 13.

Members of West London Link Design will be present at the event off King Street in Hammersmith from 11am to 4pm, to answer people's questions and show them their plans. 

After its emergency closure in 2011 serious questions were raised about the future of the Hammersmith Flyover and its reliability as a major trunk road into the capital. Transport for London has invested millions patching it up and recently committed another £60m, but it is expected to continue to deteriorate with replacement becoming necessary within 50 - 30 years.

West London Link Design say that while its replacement could take many forms, they believe the best option that offers a viable and sustainable solution for the future of west London is a tunnel between Hogarth Roundabout and Earls Court.

Hammersmith BID (Business Improvement District) are stakeholders with West London Link Design, who are trying to achieve the replacement of the flyover with the help of the Hammersmith based Halcrow Group, one of the worlds top engineering consultants with specialist tunnelling expertise.

In April, the group presented their vision of the tunnel at a packed meeting in Hammersmith Town Hall, where they described the flyover as a "terrible act of vandalism" which should never be repeated. 

The project has the backing of London Mayor Boris Johnson and Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Nick Botterill, who said in April: " Residents need to be at the heart of the debate about the long-term replacement of this ugly and out-dated structure and there is clearly a desire to think boldly. We have the will locally to make a tunnel happen and we have the latest technology to make it happen.

" The next stage will require us to convince TfL that a tunnel is the best way forward to continue the regeneration of Hammersmith and reconnect local people with the river once again."

July 12, 2013