Londoners are frustrated with how long road construction projects take in our city. Major routes sit torn up for months, sometimes years, with little visible progress. Too often, drivers pass empty construction zones where no crews are working for days at a time.

This isn’t just an inconvenience — it has real impacts:

• Commuters face longer travel times and daily frustration.

• Local businesses lose customers when access is blocked for months.

• Emergency services face delays navigating unfinished roads.

• Residents in construction areas deal with noise, dust, and disrupted neighborhoods far longer than necessary.

Other cities — even those in harsher climates — manage to complete road projects in a fraction of the time. Why is London falling behind?

London’s road construction problem isn’t just about potholes or repaving — it’s about projects that drag on far longer than necessary, leaving entire sections of our city in chaos.

Across London, residents see the same frustrating pattern:

• A major road is torn apart, lanes are blocked, and detours are set up.

• For weeks at a time, there are few — if any — visible workers on site.

• Deadlines are extended, projects stall, and traffic snarls continue month after month.

This has become the normal experience of roadwork in London, but it doesn’t have to be. Other cities around the world — even in colder climates with shorter construction seasons — complete projects in half the time at minimum, some even ten times faster. The difference isn’t just funding; it’s efficiency, accountability, and modern project management.

Why is this happening?

• Poor planning: Projects often start without strong completion deadlines or penalties for delays.

• Limited shifts: Construction in London typically happens only during daylight hours, instead of 24-hour shifts like in many other cities.

• Contracting issues: Once a project begins, there’s little accountability for contractors if progress slows.

• Outdated systems: London has not adopted modern traffic and construction management practices that speed up work elsewhere.

The result is a city that feels stuck in gridlock. Instead of building a stronger, more connected London, endless construction weakens our economy, wastes our time, and discourages people from visiting or moving into the city.

It’s time to demand change. Londoners deserve efficient, accountable, and timely road construction — not years of disruption with little to show for it.

This petition calls on London City Council to:

1. Set maximum time limits for road construction projects, with penalties for unnecessary delays.

2. Implement 24/7 construction shifts (where feasible), to speed up completion on major roads.

3. Increase accountability by requiring contractors to provide weekly progress updates to the public.

4. Adopt international best practices that show projects can be completed faster, safer, and more efficiently.

5. Establish an independent oversight committee to review contracts and timelines.

Londoners are frustrated with how long road construction projects take in our city. Major routes sit torn up for months, sometimes years, with little visible progress. Too often, drivers pass empty construction zones where no crews are working for days at a time.

This isn’t just an inconvenience — it has real impacts:

• Commuters face longer travel times and daily frustration.

• Local businesses lose customers when access is blocked for months.

• Emergency services face delays navigating unfinished roads.

• Residents in construction areas deal with noise, dust, and disrupted neighborhoods far longer than necessary.

Other cities — even those in harsher climates — manage to complete road projects in a fraction of the time. Why is London falling behind?

Londoners are frustrated with how long road construction projects take in our city. Major routes sit torn up for months, sometimes years, with little visible progress. Too often, drivers pass empty construction zones where no crews are working for days at a time.

This isn’t just an inconvenience — it has real impacts:

• Commuters face longer travel times and daily frustration.

• Local businesses lose customers when access is blocked for months.

• Emergency services face delays navigating unfinished roads.

• Residents in construction areas deal with noise, dust, and disrupted neighborhoods far longer than necessary.

Other cities — even those in harsher climates — manage to complete road projects in a fraction of the time. Why is London falling behind?