(More) Traffic chaos ahoy for Deptford and surrounds

It seems that the lifting bridge on Creek Road is in need of 'urgent repairs' and Greenwich Council has said it will be closed for three days from 31 May.

That's not going to be welcome news for those who already spent most of this evening stuck in the SE London gridlock or waiting for buses that never showed up.

Not three overnights, or a series of short weekend closures, but three full days. In the week. With lane restrictions currently in place on Deptford Church Street, Edward St still closed to traffic in one direction and the general fuckwittery of Deptford High Street a given, it does seem as if drivers and bus passengers are looking at a week of supreme inconvenience.

The bridge had to be shut without notice last September due to problems with the locking mechanism that connects the two bridge decks when they are lowered, and the closure caused chaos for travellers in the area. The eastbound bus lane is currently coned off, restricting the traffic loading on the north side of the bridge.

Either the problem wasn't fixed properly last year or there's something else wrong - and it does lead to the question of whether the Royal Borough is investing sufficient maintenance funding in looking after this vital piece of infrastructure.