VIADUCT 31

SILVERTOWN WAY AND SILVERTOWN BY.PASS

by Tim Smith

INTRODUCTION

The Docklands Development Corporation has taken nvo distinctly different approaches to the redevelopment of london's Docklands north of the . West of the River lce, office building irnd transport irnprovernents have gone hand-in-hand. Roads have had to carry both construction traffic and the new commuter traffic in addition to their nomal load. The did not irnmediately fulfill its promises.

i

I i

;

A loW approaches the bou,sting arch bridge section of the by-passfrom the west, 2n^d March 1990. View taken looking east. (Tim Smith).

East of the River [.ee there has been little are the Silvenown Way and the Silvertown By- redevelopment except for the building of pass. The former has been given a new lease cf . The LDDC have insread life by being grafted onto the new network close concentrated on building new roads, iurproving to the lnwer lee crossing, a new bridge across old ones and extending the DLR to . . The latter was closed to traffic and Two existing roads affected by the new schernes has now been dernolished. ARCIIAEOLOGY 32 LONDON'S INDUSTRIAL

Borough' this Engineer with Newham t-oo1d Section the successful'exercise to viewing of the works connected Following the t rl'i".r"iJ to ##;i" rrr*t., and the closure 9f ;il ;;;;"' rcu C'o"ing' Further visits took PIT: toof place on ttre- iil:;; il-Pass, discussions :" the Silvenown By-pass J1d "ilo-# '1e91 b"*""n Howard Bloch' iqgt in the comPanY of iii, Borough ffi;; M", fr' iistory Librarian' London took several photosraphs-.,!1 ;"" -";, for the ;il il;y;i,o of these lt fi"? J,,, *o ri,n Smith of GLIAS' record the brief hisory WaY anL ;"il;;ds I*"Ji"g ot Sit"'to*tt :l'Y::"visit roads. ;;:;;;: 6" 27th Februarv a preliminarv ;'";;;.. tnanks to Mr' S' Rajasingham'

the left' 2nd March 1990' turn approach slope on (Tim Smith) tukln look@ nofth west

HISTORY there sgnea 'BiddeCs Folly' since the known as traffic to of the Nineteenth Century of it having sufficient Until the middle tlse]v Id;;;r;t u"q* ;;'; r*; of Bow creek was ilt ,it"*.n' But Biddis railway *" railwav was-b'ilt to become a heavilY m taao a 'bv [i,"il;; of what ;;tfi;J.'di.-"*i;rutr eminent Victorian Bidder' an inaustriatiseA striP of land' ;#il"r ffi tu ':IH$ ::',mH*:1,ff in 1855' was the first in Stratford running sou Victoria Dock, opened. be a wharf'-- A' V:' rhe Rova]-,Albert where there was to t"*"0 bv rail' Creek ffiil;; to the victoria this ** to North 1""*l* in 1886' linked later, "*"nJ"d The line was ;;;iil"fu where a ferry was established' SILVERTOWN VIADUCT 33

Dock by the Connaught Passage. Industry Basin swing bridge. There were further queues sprang up in the area between the docks and at each side of the Silvenown level crossing. the river, which became known as Silvertown. By the end of the century industry was heavily After the war the Ministry of Transport drew concentrated there. up their own schane which was approved by the london and Home Counties Advisry With the building of the docks the North Committee. A joint Bill was present to Woolwich Branch railway was divened twice, Parliament in 1928 by the London County once around the north and east of the Victoria Council and West Ham Corporation. The Royal Dock to avoid the swing bridge at Tidal Basin, Victoria and Other Dock Approaches and once to avoid a second swing bridge across (Improvenrend Act. 1929, received the Royal the Connaught Passage. This later diversion assent in May of that'year. took the line in a tunnel under the dock. Access by road to Silvertown was either along THE NEW ROAD SCHEME Victoria Dock Road and across the Tidal Basin swing briilge or over the Connaught Road swing bridge. There were five pars to the new road scheme, a new bridge to carry Barking Road over the river The Tidal Basin swing bridge was wide enough Lea, the Silvertown Way viaduct across the for only a single line of taffic and carried a dock entrance, the Silvertown By-pass, the single line of railway in the road surface. widening of Beckton Road near its junction Furthermore Victoria Dock Road crossed the with Barking Road and the building of 599 new Woolwich Branch railway just north of Tidal dwellings near Prince Regent Lane to re-house Basin at the notorious White Gates level those displaced by the works (about 3,600 crossing. To reach the eastern part of people). The building of the new houses and Silvertown the railway had to be crossed again flats was the first job since farnilies had to be via a second level crossing near Silvertown re-housed before work on the roads cotrld station. cornlnence. Consulting engineers for the whole scherne were Messrs. Rendel, Pahner and By the turn of the century congestion on these Tritton and Mr. Lionel Jenkins, Borough roads had become acute. Factory owners and Engineer for West Harn. traders in Silvertown began pressing for improvements. ln 1902 they sent a deputation The 'Iron Bridge' across the was to the West Ham Council, the result of which replaced by a new steel skew span, 200 feet was, of course, the setting up a cornmittee, long and 84 feet wide. It had a 57 foot wide called the "Special Swing Bridge and Level carriageway and had two tram tracks down the Crossings Cornmittee". Several schemes were centre. Work on the new bridge began in put forward but the process was delayed by the January 1930 and it was opened in Septanber onset of the First Wodd War. 1933. The contractors were Messrs. Shanks and McEwan. Barking Road was widened from the new river bridge eastwards to Woodstock i Meanwhile traffic congestion grew. The main road to Silvertown, Victoria Dock Road, was Street. This meant rebuilding the bridge over I only twenty foot wide and usually had a the railway and the rebuilding, by the LNER, of The bridge i continuous line of traffic queuing at, first the Station n 1932. i railway reinforced 1 White Gates l,evel crossing, often stretching over the was built in

: back to Barking Road and beyond the crossing, concrete by Messrs. D.G. Somerville and ! southwards for the next obstacle, Tidal Cornpany Ltd. i the i SILVERTOWN WAY

:

: The main work was the building of Silvertown the new road. During one week at the

: way. From the north the first section involved beginning of July 1934 there were a number of : widening an existing street, Burnharn Street. traffic accidents at least three of which were This proved to have unforeseen consequences. fatal (accounts differ). Excessive speed was Before the official opening traffic began using blarned. This was taken up by the national 34 LONDON'S INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY

opened by the then press, some papers carried photographs of Silvertown way was I-eslie Hse- tethered by washing lines by their Minister of Transport, Mr. Thursday, 13th September 1934. In mothers"hild."tt to prevent them straying onto the road' Belisha, on new road that it was Harry Pollit and the local Communist Parfy his address he satd of the as the Imperial Road d made political capital of events, calling on the 'as bold an undertaking Municipal Journal called it 'a Road council to ask for police pointsmen to control Rone'. The - a reference to the the traffic. to the Empire' being the embarkation point for travellers to far Further south, at George Street, the new road fltrng colonies. split into three parallel roads. The branches to of the building of the new road th" and west connected with streets divided One outcome improvement of public transport by the"^t new road as it rose onto a viaduct high was the bridge had precluded the enough to cross the Tidal Basin without services. The swing to Silvertown but the new affecting the movement of shipping' The introduction of trams different form of electric viadtrct section is about 1,300 yards long and road brought a The service began on 60ft wide. The carriageway is 40ft wide and traction, the trolleybus. February 1938. there are 10ft wide footpaths at either side' The 6th elevated section of road ends near the Plaistow known to have sustained damage Wharf of Tate and Lyle. Work on the viaduct The viaduct is but this was repaired' in November 1932 md was complete in during World War II began run down of 1934. The contractors were Messrs' Closure of the docks and the May in traffic Dorman. long and ComPanY Ltd' of factories in Silvertown saw a decline More recently, the LDDC have Middlesborough. on the road. begrur to revarnp the road system around the alterations to Most of the viaduct is built of reinforced Royals and this has included Way. During 1991 new ramps were concrete sections. These 'standard units' are Silvenown to link up with the road from the each 55f t long over three bays. The deck slab is consffucted Crossing. North of Tidal Basin supported by beams and columns' At each end lower lca works in connection with the 'slib and wall' construction is used, whaeby other major crossing radically altered that the deck slab, thicker than in the standard unit, Lower ka Silvertown Way, giving it a new is supported on cross-walls of concrete' section of lease of life. A roundabout was constructed just south of the railway According to an article in Engineering there underneath the flyover Two double sections of Silvertown way are eight reinforced concrete bridges across its bridge. by steel beam bridges- The first, length. Five cross, or crossed roads, and each were replaced bearn bridge was fabricated from steel gave a span of 32ft 6ins. Onel5ft span crosses a northern, a Thamesside wharf frorn Belgium iootpath. A two span bridge of 47ft 6ins crossed irnported to parallel to the flyover just south of ttre il-R railway on the skew. The former Tidal on a site final position. The site Basin entrance is crossed by a 100ft span what is now its not be used because of the bridge. At the site of the former White Gates alongside could power lines. The second beam was levei crossing, the road crossed Victoria Dock position of position three months later' Road, Tidal Basin Road and the North ih"n t*,rrg into setts originally used to Woolwich branch railway on a three span This work revealed the These were taken away bridge of steel deck construction. There were pave the carriageway. road metal. Consulting originally two spurs from the viaduct, both and broken down for new works were the Mott from the east side, giving access to the north engineers for the the main contractors were side of the Royal Victoria Dock (the Tidal MacDonald Group. Holst Construction Ltd. Basin Spur ) and to the south side of the dock' Norwest

SILVERTOWN BYPASS

rising fr"om the south-west The Silvertown Blpass was brrilt to counter entirely on viaduct, railway and Connaught Road, then congestion at a level crossing just west of to cross the down to a jurction with' Silvertown railway station. The road was turning to drop back SILVERTOWN VIADUCT 35

Eastern approach slope wittt Tate antl Lyle refinery in backgrutund, 2nd March 1990. View taken looking south east. (Titn Smith)

Connaught Road. There was one spur leading Oriental Road and Connaught Road. One to Gate 19 the of King George V Dock. street, Drew Road, was stopped up when the Construction of the road was sirnilar to that of viaduct was built. Silvertown Way except that a slightly skewed bowstring arch bridge crossed both the railway Silvertown By-pass was abotrt 580 yards long cutting and Connaught Road. The standard and 42 feet wide. The carriageway was 28 ferut section as used on Silvertown Way, had to be wide and there were two 7 foot wide footpaths. modified to fit the sharp bends of Silvertown The contractors, Messrs. Holloway Brothers Bypass. (London) Ltd. cornpleted the work in May 1935. West Ham Council invited Mr. Hore_ There were four reinforced concrete rigid frane Belisha to pcrfonn the opening cerernony but bridges. Three of these were on the main he declined. In the event worlanen rernoved the viaduct, over Oriental Road, over the grotrnd- barriers to allow traffic onto the new road on level railway which led to the swing bridge and 20th July 1935. The road was closed to over Camel Road, and one, again over Carnel vehicular traffic in a sirnilar way, by the oad, on the spur viaduct. Two sets of stairs, erection of barriers, in early 1991. Demolition each on the south side of the road, allowed took place in 1995. pedestrians to clirnb onto the viaduct frorn ARCHAEOLOGY 36 LONDON'S INDUSTRIAL

BYPASS FEATURES OF SILVERTOWN the edge of the roadway' reinforced concrete at on the outside of thern' STRUCTURE td;;;il Passed THE slightlv skewed' The soffit d ffiffi;;as main viaduct was used throughout' f ?r.*" brid-ge iaking the Reinforced concrete ,t" ria grid of marn left betrween ttre rn{itiea Road was a guf' *"'" ou"".'"Curr"r transv€rse il"o#* pilasters' girders and smaller Identical Yiln i..nirrAir"r soffit of ;"ffiru;ions' end of each-u concrete' The gap between' marked itre ;.i;, ;fu?"into'""a small were the dock spur over camel rigid frame bridge sections il";;;; ;;;":-'Tn" wider ",'ving spalling of the concrete ;;tril ;iiiadjoinine sections with ;i;J;; ttush' Here design forming the steel reinforcing bars' oilasters of a slightly di#erent ."r*f"O variants or Pilaster eo'h the black top I#;;;;il'" to form pTt of eastern slope rernoval of above the toud On the had orotruded 'u'fu"" weathering and cracking surface by setts il:" ;"r- y{l lie original ia"it" setts' That restrained art deco er*;,,X#:[:k:lly,:: H.Ji; of the alTrol:rt cr parapets made i, ,iinai""ution f?ffi ptr"t*s and ll"n -t-"ry ;;;J new road'.Horses u""otii"g to locals' they used t".r" expectd on the rough, whereas, set a grip on' particularly require""ttrc something to -stopet' to be smooth' Seus of the when going up and iown had nvo bowed girders d right size fit the bill' The bowstring section

March trcrtt a44roach sloPe' 2nd

1990 (TimSmith) SILVERTOWN VIADUCT 37

On the northern side of the eastern slope the trolleybuses. Several lighting poles survived kerbs were of different kinds of granite with ornamental lamp brackets. There was a indicated by cast iron plates as follows (from larnp and bracket for illuninating the east to west) pavements, attached to each of the bowsting girders. Aberdeen granite Cornish Granite UNDER THE VIADUCT Gernsey Granite l-eicester Granite Where possible space under the Viaduct of both Mysore Granite Silvertown Way and Silvertown By-pass was Norway Granite rented out. This did cause problems where Whinstone tenants lit fires n'ext to supporting pillars. In 1991 various spaces under the by-pass were The whinstone ended near the branch to the being used. Under one section in Oriental Road King George V Dock entrance to there was a garage which had been run by Arthtrr De'Vare for 17 years. He carried out Continuing west on the sorrth side of the west MOT testing and operated the only motor rycle kerbs were as follows slope, the testing centre in East london. When he brought his garage to these arches they were in Aberdeen Granite a poor state. Mr De'Vare had cleared them out Cornish Granite and built the internal party walls. Mr De'Vare Guernsey Granite had previously served in the colonial Police Leicester Granite Mysore Granite In the next section, to the north-east, there was a warehouse for pigeon food, presumably destined for the tourists in Trafalgar square. ln Carnel Road a fenced area served as an exercise LIGHTING yard for horses stabled under the viaduct. Other sections had clearly been occupied at some time Like Silvertorvn Wav the Br'-pass *'as lit bt' or other. electriciry. The larnp standards doubled as poles for supporting the overhead l"ire for

CONCLUSION

During the 'thirties', bottr Italy and Gennany Pass the first flyover. But there are other were ahead of Britain in the sphere of road stretches of road which could have similar building. The first Autostrada, from Venice to claims, Holborn Viaduct, for example. The Turin was opened as early as 1924- Gennany building of a road over a railway to avoid a followed with its autobahns. In Britain, Hore level crossing was nothing new. Nevertheless, Belisha, as Minister of Transport, initiated the as an irnprovement to the local road system, upgrading of trunk roads. Silvertown Way was these two roads were very successful. seen as an example of how Britain could Silvertown By-Pass has now been demolished, improve roads in town as well as cotmtry. It but Silvertown Way has been given a new lease has been clairned that Silvertown Way was of life with its incorporation into the new road Britain's first elevated road, and Silvertown By- system for this area of Docklands

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Great Eastern Railway Society, Retum to Nortlt Engineering,21 st Septernber, 1934 pp.302-6. Woolwich,l9B7. The Star,3rdJuly 1934. Old OS Maps, Silvertown 1893 [OS 1:25000 News Chronicle, 4thJuly 1934. I-ondon Sheet LXXX, rev. 189314, originally Daily Wo*ea 11th July 1934 published 18971. 38 LONDON'S INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY

20th JulY 1935' C. Bowen uA Model Dockland Evening News, Frank Anne Butterf ield, lnwer Lea Crossing' London Highway", Sphere,22nd SeptembeJ tf:]' , 1991. ;A-Ro"'d to tt" Empire", Municipal Journnl' Docklands, 22nd SePtember 1934'

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KEY TO THE PLAN

types of granite on Road K2 - Kerbs of different 81 - Rigidframe britlge over Oriental "nigl -brfutge of north sitle of eastern sloqe otter trackhcd the 32 - frame Stairs Oriental Road onto jir*r, level railway from Connattght ^t1 from i-r* viaduct Silvertowtt' Rd swing bridge to Connaught Road onto the Road i; - Stuirs from nS - niiiafro*e briilge over Camel spur viaduct viaduct ga - iisii frome britlge carrytng W'Note - WarehouseforPigeon food over Camel Road Roid, itopped up by the viaduc,t' Dock Drew D - Gate 19, King George V ott the east si'de beyond the Garage uruler viaduct G - plal,ground-cortintrcs horces H - Exercise -ofYardfor Kl - Kerbs clifferent types of grunite on south sille of westent sloPe