1 November (Part 3) - Making the worst of a difficult situation
UK
Power Networks would appear to be Crossrail’s weakest partner, one for which
there is probably no alternative when it comes to rerouting the power cables they own.
It’s clearly not a simple job which is exacerbated by the water that threatens to overwhelm
their holes but the impact on the local environment is greater than it need be
because UKPN’s work lacks the attention to detail which is usually, or at least
more often than not, a hallmark of the Crossrail project.
Thoughtless is the word that springs to mind.
A week ago UK Power Networks
dumped a toilet outside a shop doorway and it’s not
so long ago that they set up three way traffic lights because they were
too lazy
to take a wheelbarrow load of earth away. Instead they left it in the road protected by barriers
and a closed pedestrian crossing. The work to be done was entirely on the footpath.
The Wilton Road excavations have grown bigger over the past 48 hours. The
eastern footpath is now completely closed off.
At the railway end a notice diverts pedestrians (Photo 1 above) and they are left to
walk in the carriageway. Photo 2.
At the southern end a big blue sign attempts to divert traffic on to the
footpath. Two more further along make rather more sense.
Pedestrians approaching from the same direction are given no warning that the
footpath goes nowhere (Photo 4) and the two houses that face the road are close
to being inaccessible.
