TfL set to reopen its major construction projects
Construction work is set to restart on major Transport for London (TfL) projects after months of inactivity.
TfL announced today that it would organise a “phased restart” of its 300 sites that it shut down during the coronavirus lockdown.
Key projects that will restart include the Bank station upgrade and the Northern Line extension.
The Northern Line extension will see a new Tube station in Battersea Power Station, while the Bank upgrade will vastly increase capacity at the station.
A statement from the transport body said the construction sites would open up according to social distancing rules, which includes staggered shifts and having less people on site.
It comes as TfL also announced today that it would restart the Thames Clippers service from next week.
London’s deputy mayor for transport Heidi Alexander said: “It’s vital that construction workers make journeys to sites on foot or by bike if at all possible in order to keep services safe for those who really need it.
“If workers have to travel on public transport, I’m pleased that our plans for staggered shifts will help them avoid the busiest times.”
London’s largest transport infrastructure project Crossrail has also seen some of its workers go back on site, after construction stopped on 24 March.
The £18.25bn project now has 25 per cent of its workers back on site, according to Crossrail chiefs.
Crossrail chief executive Mark Wild said last week that he was still aiming to have the central part of the line open by summer 2021
Wild said he was “completely committed to doing everything we can, notwithstanding the real impact of Covid-19, to meet or beat the schedule that we outlined.”
The project was originally meant to open in December 2018, however it has suffered a series of delays and budget blowouts.
In March, Sadiq Khan said it was inevitable that it would be delayed further by the coronavirus crisis.