Spine Route at Waterloo Bridge

Our work towards implementing the South Bank Spine Route Masterplan continues. The next phase focusses on making the Spine route safer and more enjoyable for all road users walking, wheeling and cycling.

The improvements will be introduced in late October/early November using experimental traffic orders (ETO).  ETOs allow the council to trial the new designs and respond to feedback from the local community and visitors to the area when it is operational.  The trial will be in place for 12-18 months during which Lambeth will collect feedback, monitor traffic levels, and measure other impacts.

We will trial improvements at Waterloo Bridge and Bernie Spain Gardens.  The improvements at Waterloo Bridge include:

Traffic filters at Waterloo Bridge

On Upper Ground at Waterloo Bridge, we will trial two new traffic filters with “No Motor Vehicles” signage.  At Waterloo Bridge, westbound traffic (coming from the direction of the National Theatre) will be stopped and will need to proceed up the up ramp to the Waterloo Roundabout.  At the National Theatre, eastbound traffic (coming from Belvedere Road) will also be stopped and will need to proceed up the up ramp as well.

Certain vehicles such as Emergency Services and TfL buses will be exempt from the No Motor Vehicles restrictions.

Removal of Up-Ramp Coach Parking Bays

To enhance road safety and better manage traffic, we are removing the designated coach parking bays on the up ramp beside Waterloo Bridge.  This improves road safety for contraflow cycling on the up ramp, as it eliminates conflicts between parked vehicles and large trucks using the same road space.

To help you navigate through the area once the trial is in place, we have created a Spine Route Car Park and Access Guide with details regarding the entry and exit paths to local destinations, including car parks, which you can click below to download. 

We have also put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the spine route and the experimental traffic orders, which you can download below.

Unfortunately, due to lower-than-expected registration we have cancelled our online Q&A sessions.  We apologize for any inconvenience and we hope the materials below will provide you with the answers you need. You will find an email address in the FAQ booklet which you can reach out to if you have further questions or comments.