Plumstead Road Bus & Cycle Improvements

THE CHALLENGE

SYSTRA was appointed by the Royal Borough of Greenwich as Principal Designer for the design of highway improvements on Plumstead road westbound in Woolwich. The scheme comprised the introduction of bus priority measures, together with segregated cycle facilities and improvements to pedestrian routes and public realm.

SYSTRA’S ROLE

The scheme, valued at £1.3M comprised 800m of bus, cycle and public realm improvements forming an holistic transport improvement scheme. The bus priority scheme extends an existing bus lane along Plumstead Road from Plumstead Rail Station to Woolwich town centre, creating a 24/7 corridor. The scheme involved the widening of the westbound carriageway to accommodate two standard traffic lanes, a bus lane and a cycle track. The works allow the refurbishment of the whole footway area, with new paving to match the surroundings, upgraded pedestrian crossings and a new public realm area in the central reservation.

The Principal Designer appointment was made at the start of the detailed design stage and continues through the construction stage. Tasks undertaken include co-ordinating designers, preparing pre-construction information and liaising with the principal contractor to develop the construction phase plan. The Principal Designer maintained a watching brief through the construction stage and reviewed any design changes to ensure that health & safety aspects have been properly considered. The Principal Designer reviewed correspondence, meeting notes and communications throughout the construction period to ensure that any design changes undergo risk assessment and review in respect of health & safety.