The new Wellesley Road crossing opened on December 3rd, with Mayor Jason Perry calling it the “final missing link” in reconnecting a road that has “split the town in half for years.” Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), he said Croydon is “proudly reconnecting” itself by completing a route from East Croydon station to the Whitgift Centre and up North End.
Mayor Perry told the LDRS the crossing is “a key piece of infrastructure, delivered on time,” completing a loop alongside earlier crossings near West Croydon and Fairfield Halls. He added that the scheme was complex due to the tram route but achieved in a short window thanks to coordinated work between the council, TfL and contractors.
Work on the street-level crossing began in July after Croydon Council secured £30m to improve the town centre. The council said the new layout would boost businesses by linking East Croydon to the main shopping area and would be ready in time for the Christmas period.
At this morning’s opening event, attended by councillors, TfL, FM Conway and council officers, Jason Perry cut a purple ribbon with oversized scissors and was the first to cross alongside Cabinet Member for Streets and Environment Scott Roche. The new crossing includes tactile paving and disability-accessible lights, with wayfinding signage still to be installed.
Lead Landscape Architect for Croydon Placemaking Matthew Perry said 15 new trees have been planted along the crossing, with low-maintenance wildflower turf to follow. He added that the trees must remain small with low canopies due to the proximity of the tram line.
Contractors from FM Conway, who led construction of the toucan crossing, said the biggest challenge was “trying to keep everything moving, as we had buses, trams, pedestrians and trams.” They explained that tram movements along the busy route were managed using “manually controlled lights by operatives day and night.”
Green councillor Ria Patel said the crossing is a welcome improvement for her Fairfield ward, particularly after the underpass closure created access problems for Whitgift businesses. She said it had been “frustrating” because some traders lost disabled access and fire exits when the passageway was shut.
Councillor Patel added that people frequently crossed Wellesley Road dangerously even before the underpass closed. “So hopefully we won’t now see people jumping across the road,” she said.
The new crossing replaces the 1960s-built underpass, which was closed last year following fire damage linked to antisocial behaviour. The underpass was filled with polystyrene blocks and concrete over the summer and will soon be paved over to create additional space for pedestrians.
Across town, the council will soon fill in the underpass linking the Old Town to St John’s Road as part of improvements around Croydon Minster. Perry told the LDRS: “Ultimately I would like to see the subways removed as we replace them with crossings.”
The Wellesley Road scheme cost £4m and was funded through a mix of sources, including the Growth Zone, TfL’s Local Implementation Plan, an indemnity arrangement and the government’s Levelling Up Fund. It sits within a wider package of improvements supported by the £18.5m the council received under the Levelling Up Fund for town-centre public realm and highways upgrades.
Attention now turns to Dingwall Road, where works will upgrade kerbs, footways, cycle lanes and add central dividing islands between Lansdowne Road and George Street.
Mayor Perry told the LDRS:“Basically it is a very confused junction at the moment and people don’t know where they are going. It is a case of reorganising that so it is fluid and there is no blockage.
West-side works began on 20 November and will last around ten weeks, with east-side closures due from 6 January 2026 for four weeks. A full carriageway closure is planned from 9 February 2026 for roughly two weeks, with orders remaining in place for up to 18 months should further work be required.
Traffic and parking will be restricted, with general traffic diverted via Sydenham Road, Wellesley Road, Croydon Underpass, Park Lane and Fairfield Roundabout. Cyclists will follow a separate diversion and must dismount during footway closures, while pedestrians, emergency services and contractors will still have access.
The council says all improvements are expected to be completed within their planned timescales.
