Ikea Greenwich August 2018 progress – It’s turning blue
Time again for my semi-regular progress reports on Greenwich Ikea. They seem pretty popular, and ever one to oblige demand, here’s a look at how it’s shaping up.
Since last time, cladding is more advanced and the famous blue panels are being applied. Timber columns are also in evidence.
Crossrail isn’t the only thing that’s slipped to 2019 (with big impacts on the Jubilee Line) as Ikea has slipped from a planned late 2018 opening to early 2019.
Much of the car park alongside is currently a work site for the new store.
The rear of the store will have a small garden but there’s little sign of it.
Traffic
As soon as Ikea is mentioned the subject invariably goes onto traffic problems.
I have no idea if something was wrong with the Blackwall Tunnel (what’s new?), but traffic was awful around the area. And it was lunchtime.
I’ve noticed a general increase as more shops opened in the area over the past year but on this trip it was a different level. And this is before the new 1,600 pupil St Mary Magdalene school opens in October.
What the increase in traffic did highlight to an even greater extent was the poor crossings. No zebra crossings or traffic lights.
I’ve covered it many times, but the constant stream of cars and especially lorries was even more dicey on this visit with increasing traffic levels, and I can run across. With kids, elderly or disabled? No chance. One driver may slow but on a dual carriageway the other likely will not. Many took the opportunity of any gaps to floor it.
Greenwich Council staff have told me no work is imminent to improve crossings. Nor is any work listed to do so.
There’s not long till opening so maybe nothing will happen. Many a time new builds in the area have opened without any pedestrian improvement work.
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Coming along nicely, albeit that the schedule has slipped. Such projects seldom run on time or to budget.
Your seventh picture (with Shurgard in view) shows a side view of the IKEA store and I don’t recall being able to access the old Sainsbury’s store from anywhere other than on Bugby’s Way. I think Shurgard is pretty much all there is where your photograph was taken and not wanting to be facetious, people won’t be humping items of furniture on their backs.
No but having lived near another Ikea I’ve seen the numbers that go by foot to the cafe and small item shop area which can be huge. The food is so cheap in the cafe. As a student many lived in there.
I take your point, but I drive along that stretch of road on my way to Blackwall Lane into Lewisham and don’t recall seeing any pedestrians attempting to cross.
However, when the IKEA does open, there will be gridlock on the weekends when most people will drive there.
I live near to Halstow school, which is in easy walking distance. I have walked this way often to go to the BQ or other things there, and I despise the crossings. It would be great to improve it. IKEA has a lot of smaller items that l would certainly walk to pick up!
The traffic observation is significant in Greenwhich Shopping Complex, most especially the Blackwall Tunnel crossing. I suggest that, now is the time to build a bridge across river Thames to ease of the traffic.
Very soon people at Poplar axis would like to shop in Ikea. The issue is not about the distance but traffic through Blackwall Tunnel.