Transport for London (TfL) is continuing to hide the cost of the year-long works at Gallows Corner, despite all works finishing in September, according to an independent investigation by Essex Live.
The Gallows Corner roundabout and flyover in Romford were initially closed to most traffic in June 2025. Roadworks at the junction in Romford, which connects the A12 and the A127, were in place for over a year, causing congestion across the town. It was finally finished in September 2026, almost a year behind schedule.
Reasons for the delays included water main issues. EssexLive has been running an ongoing investigation into how much the project cost the taxpayer, especially since the project was delayed for so long.
In May, EssexLive submitted a Freedom of Information request to TfL to find out more about the initial budget for the scheme – which was only meant to take three months – and details of any overspending against the original budget. TfL did provide the total cost of the Gallows Corner project up to February 2026.
However, EssexLive‘s questions regarding total amount spent on the Gallows Corner flyover and roundabout project from June 2025 to May, the current forecasted final cost of the project, a breakdown of expenditure, and any details of overspending against the original budget went unanswered.
At this time, TfL said that disclosure of this information would be “detrimental” to these negotiations and unavoidably affect its ability to secure the best value for money for ongoing and future negotiations. TfL said that it was “committed” to publishing further information around the costs of this project upon completion, when there would be no detrimental impact to negotiating positions.
However, EssexLive submitted a similar Freedom of Information request in September, once the works had been completed, to find out how much the full scheme cost. Once again, TfL has said that it would be “manifestly unreasonable” to comply with our request for copies of any internal reports, summaries, or briefing documents relating to project costs, delays, or budget revisions.
TfL said:
“We recognise that the release of information would promote accountability and transparency in public services and also help address your particular concerns about this matter. However, the time it would take to provide the information you have requested would divert a disproportionate amount of our resources from its core functions and on balance we consider that the public interest currently favours the use of the exception.”
(Picture: TfL)
