Motorists heading into central London from the west are in for a trying weekend, as the eastbound A40 Westway closes for 55 hours from 10pm tonight. The elevated dual carriageway will not reopen to eastbound traffic until 5am on Monday, while engineers carry out a major programme of works along one of the capital’s busiest arteries.
The shutdown covers the stretch between the Westway Roundabout and the Marylebone Flyover. Signed diversions will be in place to guide drivers around the closure, but roads through west and central London are expected to be significantly busier than usual — particularly during the morning and evening peaks.
Why the road is closing
The closure is needed for essential engineering works forming part of a wider programme of renewals on the A40, aimed at keeping the elevated road safe and dependable for the thousands of drivers who rely on it every day. The shutdown is also necessary because of ongoing lane restrictions that remain in force following a bus fire on the route.
Once the weekend’s works are complete, the eastbound carriageway and two westbound lanes are due to reopen — but drivers should expect lane restrictions to continue beyond Monday morning while the programme carries on. Engineers have also pencilled in a contingency: if poor weather prevents this weekend’s work from being finished, a further eastbound closure is scheduled for the weekend of 16 October.
Buses and the wider weekend picture
Bus services across the affected area are expected to run largely as normal, but passengers should brace for delays, diversions and some services terminating short of their usual destinations, with several events and roadworks on the network this weekend.
The Westway shutdown is only part of a wider round of weekend road closures and bus diversions gripping the capital. From 7am on Saturday until 5am on Monday, filming will close several streets in the City of London, including Lothbury between Princes Street and Bartholomew Lane, Threadneedle Street, and Old Broad Street between Threadneedle Street and Throgmorton Street. Local bus routes there are expected to be unaffected.
On Sunday, a cycling event runs across central and south London from 6.45am to 6.30pm, starting at The Mall — which will be closed — and finishing at Battersea Park, with delays expected along the route. A march is planned in Whitechapel from 1pm to 4pm, travelling from Whitechapel station to St George’s Garden via Whitechapel Road, Leman Street and Cable Street, with local road closures and bus diversions in force. Kingston hosts a half-marathon on Sunday along footpaths — no road closures, but expect more people walking and wheeling along the route.
Looking further ahead, the A41 Brent Cross flyover faces lane restrictions and overnight closures through October and November for essential safety works, including a contraflow on the flyover from 29 October to 20 November. Add in planned Tube and rail engineering works and a Jubilee line part-closure affecting O2 journeys — plus a packed Sunday events diary spanning a cultural event at West London College in Barons Court, an American football match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, performances at the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena and The O2, and exhibitions at ExCeL — and it shapes up as one of the trickiest weekends of the year for getting around.
Getting around this weekend
If you must drive, follow the signed diversions rather than improvising your own route: the official diversions are designed to keep traffic moving and to stop residential streets from seizing up under the extra load. For longer journeys across the capital, the M25 remains the recommended alternative, and travelling outside the peaks will make a noticeable difference. If you are collecting someone or heading out for the evening, allow considerably more time than usual.
Before setting off, check the live picture. TfL’s traffic status pages and its @TfLTrafficNews feed on X carry real-time updates on closures and disruption, while the TfL Go app and Journey Planner will reroute around the shutdown. National Highways’ traffic information service covers the M25 and other major routes if you are taking the long way round. Checking before you travel — and again before the return leg — is the simplest way to avoid getting caught out.
Where possible, the advice is to leave the car at home: walk, wheel, cycle or take public transport. With so much happening on London’s roads this weekend, planning ahead isn’t just sensible — it’s essential.
