Abbey Wood flyover beside station to see repair works begin

Repair works on a flyover beside Abbey Wood station are set to commence next week.

Work will begin on Monday 28th September with two-way lights on Felixstowe Road to repair the 1960s flyover. Bridge bearings will be replaced alongside concrete repairs.

Bexley Council state works will complete in December 2026 and the big question is will public space outside the Felixstowe Road station exit be less of an eyesore and actually usable.

Ever since Transport for London spent many millions on public realm improvements the area leading from the station to Abbey Wood estate and south Thamesmead has been an utter mess. “Temporary” fencing has been in place for a decade.

TfL also installed secure cycle racks under the flyover. Almost a decade on and they’ve never been opened for the public to use

The whole area merely became a dumping ground, save for a period when it became a homeless encampment. Oh, and who can forget when it because a base for a group to assault and rob people leaving the station. That was fun.

Two councils, singular disinterest

The area typifies both Bexley and Greenwich Council’s absolute neglect of Abbey Wood despite the once in a lifetime potential the Elizabeth line presented.

The borough boundary runs half way down Felixstowe Road at the point near the station exit. An agreement between Bexley and Greenwich Councils see Bexley manage this point – or rather they don’t. Greenwich Council say not our responsibility guv, though part is their land and the mess is a result of an agreement they signed.

Not that much improves when crossing into Greenwich Council controlled areas around the corner when approaching the estate.

Bexley meanwhile do next to nothing. Aside from unkempt landscaping, fenced-off cycle racks, paving and street furniture being poorly maintained there’s the usual issue of bins not being collected and general mess.

This area sums up how utterly disinterested both councils are in Abbey Wood. It all goes many years back and long before austerity.

When work on the flyover is complete the obvious question will be whether the area under and near the flyover still be an eyesore and present an abysmal first impression of Abbey Wood.

Logic says surely not? It’s been neglected for a decade now and excuses were that the flyover had issues. So surely, Bexley and Greenwich Council won’t again ignore an area long deprived and ignored by both councils?

Let’s see.