London Mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled plans for a floating motorway to be constructed on the River Thames, intended to ease congestion in the city ahead of the London 2012 Olympic games this summer.
Due for completion in July, the design by London studio Dowling Jones and Stone will include an access junction at Tower Bridge and stretch from Wandsworth to Limehouse along the water.
The announcement comes exactly one year after Dowling Jones and Stone unveiled their design for a 12 metre-high bronze statue of Johnson overlooking the river - see their proposal here.
Here are some more details from the designers:
London Mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled audacious emergency plans to avoid total gridlock in London during this Summers Olympic Games. Boris left Londoners amazed as he today unveiled a floating Olympic motorway that will stretch from Wandsworth 7 miles to Limehouse along the famous Thames. The scheme was hastily developed after traffic plans for the Olympic Games including the infamous Olympic Lanes were widely criticised. The floating lanes, controversially ear marked for use only by official Olympic cars will feature a major access junction at the world famous Tower bridge. The 118 year old structure will be adapted to allow access to the river road. The huge temporary structure costing £12 million will be hastily constructed and floated into place and assembled in time for the start of the games in July.
Gregg Stone of designers Dowling Jones & Stone, the London based consultants said ”the games is an extraordinary event and London presents unique transport challenges, taking to the river was the only way to keep things flowing".
Boris will come under pressure from transport groups as he plans to limit access to Olympic fat cats only and the huge price tag connected with the project but he is keen to appease worried London voters in an Election year.
Dowling Jones and Stone are based in London and create visualisations of architectural concepts.
lol excellent!
must be legit having the announcement on 1st of april
Dont we have boats for this sort of thing?
yeah i bet he will…..prima aprilis u guys!
mmmmmm what's today's date ?
1 April 2012
April Fool?
hehe…april fool surly ;)
Giggles, even better than last years!
1st of APRIL PEOPLE!!!!!! LOLOL
Well done Dezeen!
Nice try Dezeen, nice try.
absolute madness, and what of the businesses that can't use the thames during the olympics?
The most laughable thing about this is the expectation that British construction could ever complete this in time for the Olympics. Everything else here is perfectly regular behaviour for Boris.
Aaaaahahahaha very good! ;)
April fools day. Mind you I wouldn't put it past the blonde haired t*t
1 april!
hah! Same time next year guys…
Most projects posted on Dezeen seem like April Fool's day jokes.
I think this is an absolute disgrace. I for one will be writing a strongly worded letter to the Mayor to express my disgust at this proposal. The environmental and monetary costs of this madness do not bare thinking about. Happy April 1st.
April fool – although I've seen more ridiculous things in contemporary urban planning and architecture.
april fools etc
ha ha
You’re a fool if you belive this one!
Theres a great book called London as it might have been by felix barker and ralph hyde. It's got alot of wonderful (in all meanings of the word) concepts throughout the past few hundred years seriously considered or put forward.
Wasn't there going to be a floating stadium too?
"The announcement comes exactly one year after Dowling Jones and Stone unveiled their design for a 12 metre-high bronze statue of Johnson overlooking the river". Nice detail
this is actually to sensible to be a genuine Boris original