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Mayor of London opens completed Highbury Corner

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, joined Transport for London (TfL) and Islington Council today to officially open the new Highbury Corner junction.

The once daunting roundabout, known for its potential danger, has been transformed into a welcoming junction much safer for the whole community.

Projects like this are happening throughout the capital city as the Mayor and TfL are investing huge amounts in making London a much safer place to walk, cycle and use public transport.

The Mayor has invested £2.3bn in creating Healthy Streets across the capital, something he hopes will tackle some of the biggest problems in the capital – the global climate emergency, toxic air and obesity.

Part of this is TfL’s ‘Safer Junction’ programme to remove dangerous junctions, of which 31 have been completed 10 more are expected to be complete by May of next year.

The roundabout dates back to the 1960s and has been under construction since June 2018. The most essential safety measure was turning it into two-way traffic for the first time in 60 years, which was completed in April of this year.

Since then, further construction has continued, but now the transformation is complete. Improvements include segregated cycle lanes on all three sides of the new junction, a new green space for the public to enjoy, wider and safer pedestrian crossings and a shared pedestrian/cycle toucan crossing.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: 

“I’m delighted that our work to transform Highbury Corner is complete. It has overhauled the junction from three lanes of busy motor traffic into an area safer for walking and cycling, with a new public space for everyone to enjoy.  Whether you’re commuting into central London, or heading to the local shops, the transformation of Highbury Corner will make the area safer for everyone”

"With thousands of people dying prematurely every year as a result of our dirty air and our continuing inactivity crisis, it is essential other boroughs follow the lead of Islington in getting more Londoners walking and cycling as part of their everyday routine.”

Councillor Claudia Webbe, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said:

“The transformation of Highbury Corner is a vital part of our bold action to make Islington a safer and easier place to walk and cycle.

“With the support of residents, we campaigned hard to change a dangerous and outdated junction into a much more welcoming and pleasant place for people, and have worked together with the Mayor of London and Transport for London to make this happen. Now we have much better, wider pavements outside the station, a smart new area for people to walk and sit, new access to a botanical collection of trees and green space previously cut off behind traffic, and high-quality segregated cycle lanes.