As the infamous junction marks its 55th anniversary on Wednesday (March 26) – and undergoes long-awaited improvement works – what better time to look back at its history?
Named after its past as a place criminals used to be hanged, Gallows Corner became an important crossroads after the opening of the London to Southend Arterial Road in 1925.
A postcard view of Gallows Corner from the 1920s after the Southend Arterial Road was built (Image: Havering Libraries-Local Studies)
The junction is “unrecognisable” in old photos, says Havering Libraries, and it was many more years before the flyover and roundabout we know today were built.
According to Havering Libraries, the roundabout was enlarged in 1957, but this did not help to combat the heavy traffic that was already becoming an issue in the 1950s.
Building a flyover was first suggested in 1964, but work did not start until March 1968 – after public pressure and campaigns from politicians.
Several delays and £340,000 later, the flyover opened on March 26, 1970, as a “temporary structure”.
But even then, the public were not able to use it straight away.
At 5am on the opening day, an army transporter carrying a recovery vehicle toppled over onto Main Road, causing “huge traffic jams in all directions” and closing the flyover again, according to Havering Libraries.
READ MORE: Gallows Corner lane closures delayed start date revealed
The flyover was built from pre-cast steel sections and had a life expectancy of just 15 years.
Two decades after it was built, a major campaign was launched in the mid-1990s – backed by the Recorder – for work to be carried out to make the junction safer.
But, it was not until 2009 that Transport for London (TfL) completed year-long maintenance works on Gallows Corner flyover, which would “extend its life” for another decade.
In 2021, TfL warned that the flyover would be at “risk of closure” without financial support from the government for further works – and last year the final plans for its multi-million pound refurbishment were approved.
Works are now underway to strengthen the structure again, with a minimum design life of 60 years, so it could be decades before any more maintenance it needed.
