Greenway fences

They're currently resurfacing the Greenway prior to the Olympics. They've been at it quite a while. The stretch immediately next to the Olympic stadium is all done and dusted, but over to the east, on the other side of Stratford High Street, it's a complete mess. It's not as though the surface was in desperate need of improvement - it was perfectly adequate already (eg here in 2004) - but this will be the main pedestrian route to the Olympics from West Ham station, so I suppose they have to make the effort. The happy spectators will turn up Manor Road, head west along the Greenway past Joseph Bazalgette's "cathedral of sewage", and clamber over the shiny new bridge (with Siberian larch cladding!) they're building across Stratford High Street. [Map]

The next stretch of the Greenway - straight on west from the High Street - is currently closed off, and will be till 2014, thanks to work on Crossrail. But since the alternative is a long diversion round by Marshgate Lane, the assumption is that they'll be opening that stretch temporarily just for the Olympics. It would be absurd to spend all that money on refurbishing the Greenway, and building the fancy bridge, if people then had to trudge for quarter of a mile down Stratford High Street. 

But - back east again - why are they working all the way up to the District Line bridge at Plaistow? I realise that these improvement projects take on a momentum of their own, but this is all completely unnecessary. What's particulalry ridiculous is that they've now installed railings on either side of the bridge:

What on earth for? I can only think that this is part of some scheme to gentrify the Greenway in keeping with the tastes of local councillors and other worthies, for whom any individual artistic expression can only be an example of unwanted vandalism and can play no part in their vision of an orderly and neatly managed urban environment.

I visit this place regularly. It's always a breath of fresh air: a boost to the spirits. Some previous visits here, here, here, here, here. I've got a nasty feeling that the spray-cleaning men in yellow jackets will soon be at work removing the graffiti, for the benefit of decent folks who prefer not to have their senses stimulated by anything more than the smell of dog-shit.

Well, we'll see. Meanwhile, here's some of the latest work:

Not masterpieces, no, but it'd be a shame if it was all to go, in the name of progress.

Comments

[London Tube Rambler]

Please can you tell me if the section of Greenway (from Manor Road) that goes past the Cathedral of Sewage is now open all the way to Stratford? When I went earlier this year there were still diversions. I've been trying to write up a walk for this area for about 3 years - pretty hopeless with the paths that are constructed and then shut off. I live in Greenwich, so can't keep trogging backwards and forwards! Anyway, I find it sad to see what has been done to this area - once such an intriguing wilderness, now being sanitized.

[Mick H]

Yes, last time I was there, a couple of weeks back, the Greenway was open all the way to Stratford High Street. They were still working on the bridge - no idea when that'll be open, but must be soon. And I still don't know what's happening with the section on the other side, to the west.