Network Rail contractors have begun painting East Putney’s railway bridges over Upper Richmond Road, the final phase of a refurbishment that has been nearly a decade in the making.
Scaffolding is being built each night and then dismantled again in time for the morning traffic, with night works under way. For anyone who has walked under the bridges recently, the difference is already visible.
The paint going on now is not quite what Wandsworth Council promised. Back in 2016, the cabinet backed plans for improvements to Upper Richmond Road that included Balham-style environmental artwork (the sort of scheme that transformed the railway bridges at Clapham Junction).
In 2019, the council announced the plans had “moved a step closer.” Both announcements have since been removed from the council’s website. What arrived, eight years on, is rust removal and a coat of paint. The bridges were described in those original announcements as “damp, dirty and unattractive.” That much, at least, will be addressed.
Getting here was not straightforward. Residents on nearby streets found themselves kept awake until 5am during the works phase, with night-time road closures required because TfL and Network Rail share ownership of the road. Contractor problems complicated progress further. By late March, the noise was “over the worst.” Now the painting has begun.
It may be worth noting that while East Putney is finally getting a clean-up and paint, bridges in other parts of Wandsworth – which happen to be located in the local wards of cabinet members and electorally important areas – have received extensive, some might say excessive, makeovers, complete with opening day festivities.
We don’t expect to see jazz bands, stilt walkers, a countdown button or multi-media presentations when the East Putney’s bridges are completed next month. Just less ugly underpasses.
