Greenwich foot tunnel lifts reopen after almost a year
I’m tempting fate with this post but after almost a year of broken lifts, the Greenwich foot tunnel is now accessible to all again.
Unless they’ve broken while typing this, both lifts are operational.
1pm UPDATE: It’s reported one lift has broken.
Back in August 2021 it was claimed it would take five months to reopen, though a delay was then announced in October due to supply issues resulting in the lift’s opening seven months later.
The lifts stopped working sometime before that August update, and have been temperamental ever since a bodged upgrade project a decade ago.
At the time various impressive visual renders were presented. I recall seeing render of LED lights throughout putting on lightshows, which never appeared.
Fully glass doors have presented problems for lifts due to weight, and are replaced with half glazed doors.
If it doesn’t pack up, that will leave the door open for Woolwich ferry to take the crown for most unreliable river crossing. Or Blackwall tunnel. Then again, there’s also Rotherhithe…
And broken today (Tower Hamlets end)
hahaha , oh we cynical Greenwich people, we should set up an RBG annual awards listing for most breakdowns, unreliability, wasted expenditures, inflated costs, most u-turns on policy, and dare I say it, wasted opportunities for income to the borough too improve our environment. Or perhaps ugliest new developments? Any other ideas anyone to embarrass our ‘Royal’ council? Any ideas for the name for the awards?
Great, now if they could just do something about the large number of cyclists ignoring all the signs and riding dangerously through the tunnel it might be a safe place to use again.
Yes I agree with you Martin, and strolling around the Cutty Sark area can be dangerous as cyclists speed through there on their way to the foot tunnel entrance despite all the signage saying No Cycling.
As a cyclist who walks the tunnel, I’d get rules in place for slow, several abreast pram pushers and their entourages who are equally a pain. As for when these gather at the lift entrances or get in the lifts, control of their offspring is non existent!