A ROAD TUNNEL

Evening Star, Issue 20253, 14 August 1929, Page 9

A ROAD TUNNEL

PROPOSED UNDER PICCADILLY LONDON, July 6. The payment by the Ministry of Transport of a considerable sum by way of compensation to the builders of new’ fiats on the Devonshire House site has led to inquiries about the possibility of a large traffic tunnel being constructed to run from Berkeley square to the Mall. At the Ministry of Transport it was stated there is no actual plan for a tunnel in existence at the moment, but it was thought advisable to safeguard the future in case a tunnel might be built. Negotiations have been completed with the builders of the flats in regard to the depth of the foundations. Th idea of a, tunnel to relieve congestion in Piccadilly by taking northsouth traffic under Piccadilly and the Green Park, as conceived by the London Advisory Committee, contemplated a road half a mile in length. Tt is not considered that the proposed underground road would present any very serious engineering difficulties. At present the traffic blocks caused by the stream of cars crossing Piccadilly from Arlington street to Berkeley street often causes a" hold-up of Piccadilly traffic for longer than five minutes, and there is no feasible w r ay but an underground road to decrease these halts, which get worse every season. The proposed underground road to the'Mall w’ould take a great deal_ of traffic from Victoria station to the big northern stations.