Streetworks and events management

Streetworks are an inevitable part of a global business district needing a globally-competitive infrastructure.

You can download this week's closures (64kb)

Read more about Queen Victoria Street eastbound and Queen Street southbound closures (97kb). Buses will also be affected. See the London Buses leaflet (152kb) for more information.

View live traffic status on this Google map

A wide range of apps are also available for smartphones including options like Trafficmaster's TrafficView for iPhone which details roadworks across London and beyond. Search for 'roadworks' in your provider's app store to see what's on offer.

Click on our interactive map that lists daily information on all streetworks, road closures and other highways activities within the City boundaries.

The City of London is stepping up the communication and the main objective of our quarterly newsletter is to inform our residents, businesses and road users about latest developments and what we have been doing and what is planned for the future.

Download the latest issue of our quarterly newsletter here (1.12mb)

LondonWorks register - shows details of all roadworks and street related events in Greater London.

The management of streetworks in the ‘Square Mile’

There are two bodies responsible for managing the public highways in the City of London. Transport for London (TfL) manage what are termed ‘Red Routes’ (i.e. the main roads, or Transport for London Road Network TLRN). The ‘Red Routes’ comprise around 15% of the streets in the City. The second body is the City of London Corporation, which is the Highway Authority for the remainder of the streets in the ‘Square Mile’. Both bodies have responsibility for planning street works on their respective streets.

The Square Mile dates back to over a 1,000 years and retains much of the historic character of centuries past particularly in relation to street layout. Today the Square Mile is a world-leading business centre with around 6,000 businesses employing over 300,000 people.

The demands of these businesses along with the requirements of new business developments in the City mean that typically we receive 4,000-6,000 requests each year for our roads to be dug up in relation to the provision of information technology, electricity, water and gas. We aim to manage these works with the minimum of disruption to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. This is quite a challenge, especially when we have also to deal with road repairs, new developments (such as 1 New Change) and the considerable number of special events (such as the London Marathon) that the City attracts.

We recognise that minimising the impact that street works have on pedestrian and vehicular movement within the City is extremely important. We therefore have a dedicated team working to coordinate work as far as is practicable and in particular we are doing the following:

• We are one of the first local authorities to introduce a ‘Permit Scheme’ enabling us to better regulate street works and issue ‘Fixed Penalty Notices’ (FPNs) to any contractors that breach our conditions or who take unreasonably long to complete their works.
• We are working closely with the senior management of utility companies to improve coordination of their works and in particular to increase the sharing of planned road closures to ensure all utilities complete necessary works simultaneously wherever practicable.
• We aim to improve how we and the utility companies communicate. We want to let you know why works are necessary, how long they will take and, in the case of longer works, how they are progressing against the planned timetable. We will be doing this through an improved website and better signage on all schemes. We expect to have these measures in place over the next couple of months.
• We are looking at all our own major schemes to see how we might reduce the length of the works programme. In the main this will be done through working double shifts and weekend working, although a major limitation to this approach is the importance we place on ensuring residents and businesses benefit from tight controls on noise. We will also be looking at scheme design and materials to ensure there is not a quicker and equally acceptable works methodology.
• We recognise that a high number of street works is inevitable in a rapidly developing and dynamic world business hub such as the Square Mile. However we also recognise the importance of minimising disruption so as to keep the City moving, as well as controlling the environmental impact of works such as noise and dust. It’s hoped the above demonstrates our commitment to do all we can to effectively manage what is a considerable demand for works on our road network.

For more information please visit the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.

​We help to organise several events on the City's roads. Some of the major events that may have an impact on them are listed below.

Battle of the Atlantic memorial events

On Wednesday 8 May the service at St Paul’s Cathedral will end at 6pm with a procession to the Mansion House. There will be police traffic holds at St Paul’s Churchyard, Cannon Street and Queen Victoria Street.

There will be another event on Saturday 11 May between 12noon and 4pm at Trinity Square Gardens. The roads will be closed at Trinity Square including the approach roads at Savage Gardens and Cooper's Row.

Moonwalk

This annual charitable event will start at 9pm on Saturday 11 May and finish at 9am on Sunday 12 May. The participants will walk from Battersea through the City of Westminster and the City of London to London Borough of Southwark. In the Square Mile the route goes via Victoria Embankment, New Bridge Street, Fleet Street, Aldwych, Kingsway, Holborn, High Holborn, Newgate Street, Cheapside, Poultry, Bank Junction, Threadneedle Street, Bishopsgate, Gracechurch Street, Eastcheap, Great Tower Street, Byward Street, Tower Place, Tower Hill, Tower Bridge, South of the river into Southwark. You can find more information at www.walkthewalk.org

Thames Bridges Bike Ride

On Sunday 12 May between 8am and 4pm about 2,700 cyclists will criss cross Thames bridges. On the way, they will cycle through the City via Tower Bridge, Tower Hill, Mansell Street, Portsoken Street, Crosswall Street, Vine Street, India Street, Jewry Street, Aldgate High Street, Fenchurch Street, Gracechurch Street, King William Street, London Bridge into Southwark then Southwark Bridge, Queen Street, Queen Victoria Street, Blackfriars Bridge. You can find out more about this event at www.stroke.org.uk/Thamesbridges

Bupa 10k Race

This year the event takes place on Monday 27 May. Roads will be closed between 7am and 3pm in the City of Westminster and the City of London. The race will start and end on the Mall and follow a route through St James’s Park, Whitehall, Victoria Embankment, Blackfriars’s Underpass, Puddle Dock, Queen Victoria Street, Friday Street, Cannon Street, Queen Victoria Street, Bank Junction, Cornhill, Leadenhall Street, Whittington Avenue, Leadenhall Market, Lime Street, Fenchurch Street, Mincing Lane, Great Tower Street, Eastcheap, King William Street, Cannon Street, Queen Victoria Street, White Lion Hill, Victoria Embankment. You can find out more at www.london10000.co.uk

Smithfield Nocturne

This cycling event is on Saturday 8 June between 4pm and 10pm. The roads at West Smithfield, Smithfield Street, Snow Hill, East Poultry Avenue, Charterhouse Street, Lindsey Street, Long Lane and the approach roads will closed. You can learn more about the event or register to compete in the race by visiting www.londonnocturne.com

St John's Order Parade

On 22 June between 1pm and 3pm there will be police traffic holds between West Smithfield, Snow Hill, Farringdon Street, Ludgate Circus, Ludgate Hill, and St Paul’s Churchyard.

RideLondon

The new, annual rwo-day cycling festival takes place on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 August. There will be closures and restrictions from early morning until late evening in certain east, central and southwest London and Surrey areas for the four planned events. These include free, family-friendly bike ride through the City of London and the City of Westminster. Many bus routes will also be affected. You can find more information about the events on www.PrudentialRideLondon.co.uk. For travel information please visit theTransport for London website.