Western Avenue
Encyclopedia
Western Avenue, some 10 miles (16 km) in length, is one of the major roads leading out of London
, England
. It is part of the A40
, leaving the city in a north-westerly direction. The A40 is named as Western Avenue from its junction with Old Oak Common Lane in East Acton; the junction now has traffic lights, but its name Savoy Circus commemorates the roundabout which once formed the junction. East of this point is Westway
, part of the A40 Central London link from Paddington
.
, crossing the Great Western Main Line
as it does so. Road junctions occur on this section, but from the Hanger Lane Gyratory System
(a junction with the A406
and A4005
, 2 miles (3 km)) the main intersections are by means of underpasses
and slip roads
(see History below). The first of these (4 miles (6.4 km)) is with the B452, connecting southwards to West Ealing
and the River Thames
at Kew Bridge
; this is followed by the Greenford
Roundabout (with the A4127, 6.75 miles (11 km)), connecting southwards to Southall
; the Target Roundabout (with the A312, 9 miles (14 km)), a junction for Heathrow Airport; and the Polish War Memorial
junction (with the A4180, 1 mile (1.6 km)) for Northolt Aerodrome
.
In the final few miles of the road, there are minor junctions with the A437 (Hillingdon Circus) to Ruislip
and Hillingdon
, and with the B467 (Swakeleys Roundabout) to Uxbridge
, before the road ends at the junction with the M40
at the Denham Roundabout
, northwest of Uxbridge.
at busy periods
. Now, the Greenford
Road junction is a flyover
, taking Western Avenue over the Greenford Road; all the other junctions take Western Avenue under the crossing road. The last junction to be improved was the Master Brewer junction with Long Lane, Hillingdon. Here, the work diverted Western Avenue to the north of the old line of the road, taking it under both Long Lane and the Uxbridge
branch of the Metropolitan Line
; Hillingdon London Underground Station
was rebuilt as part of the work. The road improvements saw more than 100 houses along Western Avenue demolished in the mid to late 1990s.
, near Greenford, is the Art Deco
Hoover Building
, now a Tesco
supermarket.
The Hoover Building is referred to in a song by Elvis Costello
and "Westway" is the title of a tune by the 1980s rock band Sky
. On the album notes bass player Herbie Flowers
, who co-wrote the tune with Francis Monkman
, says of "Westway": "When we recorded this album, I was living out in West London, and the studio was in Central London. Every night, I would drive home along the Westway elevated road and listen on my car tape player to what we'd done that day. This track is such a great groove for driving and it got its name because if I put it on at the Marylebone Road end of the Westway and stuck right on the speed limit, it would finish just as I came off the other end."'
in Uxbridge
. On Tuesday 13 August 1996, in a very unusual accident, a Lear Jet
landing at the airfield overshot the runway
and ended up crashing into a van that just happened to be passing on the A40. Fortunately the van driver was not seriously injured although he was trapped for 40 minutes. It was later determined that the crash may have been caused when the Spanish pilot and co-pilot were having a disagreement over who should handle the landing. There was only one passenger on the Lear Jet, an actor
called Lisa Hogan. She was slightly injured.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1996/08/14/njet14.html
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is part of the A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
, leaving the city in a north-westerly direction. The A40 is named as Western Avenue from its junction with Old Oak Common Lane in East Acton; the junction now has traffic lights, but its name Savoy Circus commemorates the roundabout which once formed the junction. East of this point is Westway
Westway (London)
The Westway is a long elevated dual carriageway section of the A40 route in west London running from Paddington to North Kensington. The road was constructed between 1964 and 1970 to relieve congestion at Shepherd's Bush caused by traffic from Western Avenue struggling to enter central London on...
, part of the A40 Central London link from Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
.
The road
After Savoy Circus the road, dual carriageway, takes a bend towards North ActonNorth Acton
North Acton is a place in West London, UK. It is part of Acton and on the edge of the industrial district of Park Royal. It is located in the London Borough of Ealing.-Commercial activity:...
, crossing the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
as it does so. Road junctions occur on this section, but from the Hanger Lane Gyratory System
Hanger Lane Gyratory System
The Hanger Lane gyratory is a large, complex roundabout system at the intersection of Western Avenue , the North Circular and Hanger Lane in the borough of Ealing in west London. It covers an area of about 30,000 square metres. An above-ground section of the London Underground Central Line passes...
(a junction with the A406
A406 road
The A406 or the North Circular Road is a road which crosses North London, UK, linking West and East London. It, together with the South Circular Road, forms a ring road through the inner part of Outer London...
and A4005
A4005 road
The A4005 is a suburban link road running between Hanger Lane roundabout, where the A40 meets the A406 , and Harrow. The A4005 now runs along Roxeth Hill to its junction with the A312 in South Harrow, then merges with it northbound until its junction with the A404 before splitting away again to...
, 2 miles (3 km)) the main intersections are by means of underpasses
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
and slip roads
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
(see History below). The first of these (4 miles (6.4 km)) is with the B452, connecting southwards to West Ealing
West Ealing
West Ealing is a place in the London Borough of Ealing in west London.-History:West Ealing in its present form is less than 100 years old....
and the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Kew Bridge
Kew Bridge
Kew Bridge is a bridge in London over the River Thames. The present bridge was designed by John Wolfe-Barry and opened in 1903 by King Edward VII. The bridge was givenGrade II listed structure protection in 1983.- Location :...
; this is followed by the Greenford
Greenford
Greenford is a large suburb in the London Borough of Ealing in west London, UK. It was historically an ancient parish in the former county of Middlesex. The most prominent landmarks in the suburb are the A40, a major dual-carriageway; Horsenden Hill, above sea level; the small Parish Church of...
Roundabout (with the A4127, 6.75 miles (11 km)), connecting southwards to Southall
Southall
Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Yeading, Hayes, Hanwell, Heston, Hounslow, Greenford and Northolt...
; the Target Roundabout (with the A312, 9 miles (14 km)), a junction for Heathrow Airport; and the Polish War Memorial
Polish War Memorial
The Polish War Memorial is a memorial erected to remember the contribution of airmen from Poland who helped the Allied cause during World War II....
junction (with the A4180, 1 mile (1.6 km)) for Northolt Aerodrome
RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
.
In the final few miles of the road, there are minor junctions with the A437 (Hillingdon Circus) to Ruislip
Ruislip
Ruislip is a suburban area, centred on an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote, Northwood, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and...
and Hillingdon
Hillingdon
Hillingdon is a suburban area within the London Borough of Hillingdon, situated 14.2 miles west of Charing Cross.Much of Hillingdon is represented as the Hillingdon East ward within the local authority, Hillingdon Council...
, and with the B467 (Swakeleys Roundabout) to Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
, before the road ends at the junction with the M40
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
at the Denham Roundabout
Denham Roundabout
The Denham Roundabout is a large road intersection to the west of London, at junction 1 on the M40 motorway.When Western Avenue was originally built, it ended at a point west of Uxbridge at the intersection of the road from Uxbridge towards Gerrards Cross and High Wycombe with the road from...
, northwest of Uxbridge.
History
When first constructed in the 1920s, all intersections with other roads were flat junctions with roundabouts, resulting in significant congestionTraffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
at busy periods
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
. Now, the Greenford
Greenford
Greenford is a large suburb in the London Borough of Ealing in west London, UK. It was historically an ancient parish in the former county of Middlesex. The most prominent landmarks in the suburb are the A40, a major dual-carriageway; Horsenden Hill, above sea level; the small Parish Church of...
Road junction is a flyover
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
, taking Western Avenue over the Greenford Road; all the other junctions take Western Avenue under the crossing road. The last junction to be improved was the Master Brewer junction with Long Lane, Hillingdon. Here, the work diverted Western Avenue to the north of the old line of the road, taking it under both Long Lane and the Uxbridge
Uxbridge tube station
Uxbridge is a London Underground station in Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, north-west London. The station is the terminus of the Uxbridge branches of both the Metropolitan Line and the Piccadilly Line. The next station towards London is Hillingdon. The station is 15.5 miles west of...
branch of the Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
; Hillingdon London Underground Station
Hillingdon tube station
Hillingdon tube station is a London Underground station in North Hillingdon in the London Borough of Hillingdon, west London.The station is on the Uxbridge branch of both the Metropolitan line and Piccadilly line, between Ickenham and Uxbridge stations and in Travelcard Zone 6.-History:The...
was rebuilt as part of the work. The road improvements saw more than 100 houses along Western Avenue demolished in the mid to late 1990s.
Hoover Building
A notable landmark on Western Avenue at PerivalePerivale
Perivale is a small suburb in the London Borough of Ealing, west of Charing Cross, central London. Landmarks in the suburb include the A40, a large road that connects Central London with the M40 motorway, and the large Art Deco Hoover Building, as well as St Mary's Church , the River Brent and...
, near Greenford, is the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
Hoover Building
Hoover Building
The Hoover Building on the Western Avenue in Perivale, West London is an example of Art Deco architecture, designed by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners...
, now a Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
supermarket.
The Hoover Building is referred to in a song by Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
and "Westway" is the title of a tune by the 1980s rock band Sky
Sky (band)
Sky was a British instrumental group that specialised in fusing a variety of musical styles including light rock, progressive rock, classical and jazz. The group's best known members were classical guitarist John Williams, bass player Herbie Flowers Sky was a British instrumental group that...
. On the album notes bass player Herbie Flowers
Herbie Flowers
Herbie Flowers is an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double-bass and tuba. He is noted as a member of Blue Mink, T...
, who co-wrote the tune with Francis Monkman
Francis Monkman
Francis Monkman is an English rock, classical and film score composer, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Curved Air.-Career:...
, says of "Westway": "When we recorded this album, I was living out in West London, and the studio was in Central London. Every night, I would drive home along the Westway elevated road and listen on my car tape player to what we'd done that day. This track is such a great groove for driving and it got its name because if I put it on at the Marylebone Road end of the Westway and stuck right on the speed limit, it would finish just as I came off the other end."'
Air crash
Western Avenue borders RAF NortholtRAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
in Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
. On Tuesday 13 August 1996, in a very unusual accident, a Lear Jet
Lear Jet
Learjet is a manufacturer of business jets for civilian and military use. It was founded in the late 1950s by William Powell Lear as Swiss American Aviation Corporation. Learjet is now a subsidiary of Bombardier and marketed as the "Bombardier Learjet Family".-History:The Learjet started life as an...
landing at the airfield overshot the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
and ended up crashing into a van that just happened to be passing on the A40. Fortunately the van driver was not seriously injured although he was trapped for 40 minutes. It was later determined that the crash may have been caused when the Spanish pilot and co-pilot were having a disagreement over who should handle the landing. There was only one passenger on the Lear Jet, an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
called Lisa Hogan. She was slightly injured.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1996/08/14/njet14.html