The Putney Bridge crossing will move so Lower Richmond Road gets 42 seconds of green every cycle, and the High Street bus lane goes. Cabinet set aside £450,000.

The pedestrian crossing on Putney Bridge is to be moved, two years after it was built, to cut the queues on Lower Richmond Road. Wandsworth Council’s Cabinet agreed the plan on Monday 12 October. It still needs Transport for London’s agreement.

Cabinet also agreed to make permanent orders removing the bus lane on Putney High Street, and set aside £450,000 for the works. (Cabinet statement of decisions, 12 October 2026)

Why the crossing is moving

The council rebuilt the junction of Putney Bridge, Putney High Street and Lower Richmond Road in late 2024. The aim was a safer junction for people walking and cycling.

The council’s paper says the safety gains were real. But the changes, together with Hammersmith Bridge and Albert Bridge being shut to traffic, brought “unexpected congestion, particularly on Putney Bridge Road and Lower Richmond Road”. (Cabinet Paper 26-217, Putney High Street update)

The problem is the green light for traffic turning left out of Lower Richmond Road. At present, whenever someone presses the button to cross the bridge, that turn gets 25 seconds of green instead of 42. The paper calls this a “40% deduction”.

Moving the crossing would give left-turning traffic the full 42 seconds every time. The council’s modelling says the junction would then have “acceptable capacity” and keep most of the new walking and cycling facilities.

There is a cost for people on foot. The crossing on the bridge would go back to a three-stage crossing, as it was before 2024.

Why the old layout cannot simply come back

Many residents have asked for two traffic lanes back on Lower Richmond Road. The paper says that is not possible. TfL told the council in writing that the new islands are already at the minimum size its design standards allow, so the old layout “is not possible”.

Two lanes have returned elsewhere. A traffic island outside Snappy Snaps was removed over the summer, which brought back two lanes on Putney High Street and on the approach from Putney Bridge Road.

Everything Cabinet agreed for Putney

  • Move the Putney Bridge crossing, subject to TfL agreeing.
  • Make the permanent traffic orders to remove the Putney High Street bus lane and keep double yellow lines in its place.
  • Add double yellow lines inside the Putney Bridge Road bus lane.
  • Keep double yellow lines on Lower Richmond Road between Thames Place and Thai Square, to allow an extra traffic lane.
  • Ask residents about bus stops P and Q on Lower Richmond Road, so the council can press TfL again.
  • Hold a statutory consultation on Weiss Road once there is enough data from its one-way trial.
  • Spend £450,000 more in 2026/27, on top of £250,000 already budgeted. The paper says it will come from developer contributions (Section 106 or Community Infrastructure Levy) where possible.

The two bus stops

TfL agreed to trial moving bus stop P, the westbound stop outside Kenilworth Court, about 40 metres along the road. The paper says the trial was “effective”.

TfL has “consistently rejected” the council’s request for a trial at stop Q, the eastbound stop opposite. The council will now consult residents on both stops and send the results to TfL.

The side streets

The paper accepts that drivers use Disraeli Road, Werter Road and Chelverton Road to skip the queues on Putney Hill and Upper Richmond Road. It recommends waiting to see the effect of the signal changes before restricting them. The same applies to the roads off Putney Bridge Road.

Work to widen Putney High Street outside TK Maxx is “underway”, the paper says.

What has not been published

The paper gives no start date for moving the crossing, and TfL has not yet agreed to it. It does not say when the consultation on bus stops P and Q will open. We will report both when they are set.

What it means for you

  • If you drive out of Lower Richmond Road, the left turn should get its full green time once the crossing moves. Nothing changes until TfL agrees and the work is done.
  • If you walk across the bridge, expect a three-stage crossing again, with waits on the islands.
  • If you live near stops P and Q, watch for the council’s consultation. It is your chance to influence TfL.
  • If you live on Weiss Road, the one-way trial continues, and a formal consultation follows once the council has the data.

Our report from September has the full history of the Putney traffic changes. Live closures are on our roadworks and travel page.

Sources