2-887-770 - Historic England Archive/Heritage Images

Westway Flyover, A40, Paddington, City of Westminster, London, 02/10/1969. The gantry lifting a deck beam into position during construction of the Westway Flyover where it spans the canal leading to Paddington Basin. Work on site for the Western Avenue Extension began on 1st September 1966, and the Westway as it became known was officially opened on 28th July 1970. The elevated highway connecting the A40 at White City to Marylebone Road in Paddington, at around 2 ½ miles, was the longest in Europe. The construction was organised into six sections. Sections 1, 4, 5 & 6 formed the main flyover into central London with Sections 2 & 3 being the West Cross Route, running south from the junction in Section 1 near Latimer Road to Shepherds Bush. Different construction techniques were used for Section 6; the road deck was formed from longitudinal beams rather than sections spanning the width of the carriageway. As part of the project, Harrow Road was divided and the northbound carriageway carried on a second deck beneath the main Westway Flyover. This photograph was taken at grid reference TQ2639081701.