Eastern Avenue, London facts for kids
The Eastern Avenue is a major road that helps people travel out of London. It's about 10-mile (16 km) long and is part of a bigger road called the A12. The A12 is a long road, stretching for 129 miles, connecting Blackwall in London all the way to the seaside town of Lowestoft in Suffolk.
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Where Does It Go?
The Eastern Avenue begins where a newer part of the A12 road ends. This newer section was built in 1999 to help traffic avoid the town of Wanstead.
Key Junctions and Landmarks
The road first meets the Redbridge Roundabout. Here, the A12 connects with another important road called the North Circular (A406). Before 1989, this part of the road was actually called the M15. It offered a direct link to the M11 motorway.
The Eastern Avenue then continues towards the Gants Hill Roundabout, which is close to Ilford. It goes through busy areas like Newbury Park, passing by Newbury Park tube station. It also passes William Torbit School.
Romford and Beyond
A few miles further east, the road curves around the northern side of the town of Romford. The Eastern Avenue finally ends at the Gallows Corner roundabout, a place with an interesting history. Here, another road, the A127 Southend Arterial Road, branches off.
If drivers want to go to Southend on the A127, they can use a special flyover. This flyover was built in 1969 as a temporary solution to help traffic avoid the busy roundabout. It was originally planned for a different motorway, the M12, which was meant to go from South Woodford to a proposed airport near Southend-on-Sea.
How Old Is It?
The Eastern Avenue was built between the 1920s and 1930s. Its main purpose was to create a bypass for the old A12 road. The old A12 used to go directly through towns like Romford, Chadwell Heath, Goodmayes, and Ilford before reaching Stratford.
When it was first built, the Eastern Avenue was known as the A106. By the mid-1940s, it was renamed the A12. The original A12 road was then given a new, less important number, the A118. The A118 now ends at the A11 in Bow.
Why Is It Important?
The Eastern Avenue is mostly used by cars and trucks traveling short distances within the local area. This is because the M11 motorway, which was built in 1980, offers a much faster way to get around the Eastern Avenue. The A13 road also provides a quicker route into London.
Traffic and Speed
The Eastern Avenue can be a slow road. The speed limits are usually 50 miles per hour or 40 miles per hour. There are also traffic lights at almost every intersection, along with roundabouts and buildings close to the road.
However, when there's a lot of traffic on the M25 motorway, big trucks and other vehicles heading into London often choose to use the Eastern Avenue instead. This helps them avoid the M25 delays.
