London Mayor Sadiq Khan Will Not Be Happy With What Critics Have Just Said About Him as Pressure Continues to Grow

Conservative politicians have strongly criticised London Mayor Sadiq Khan over the continuing problems at Gallows Corner, claiming he has “given up” on the situation as residents and businesses continue to face delays and heavy traffic.

Gallows Corner in Romford has still not fully reopened, despite work beginning more than a year ago. The long-running project has caused serious disruption, with drivers facing congestion and some local businesses saying they have lost customers.

Julia Lopez, the Conservative MP for Hornchurch and Upminster, says City Hall failed to properly respond to a series of questions and Freedom of Information requests she submitted about the project.

Last month, Lopez asked the Mayor’s office for information about how much the work is costing, when it is expected to be completed, where the funding is coming from and what support is being offered to businesses affected by the disruption.

Public authorities are normally expected to respond to Freedom of Information requests within 20 working days or explain why more time is needed. Lopez claimed she initially received no response or acknowledgement.

Work on the Gallows Corner flyover started in June 2025. The project was originally expected to be completed by September, but that deadline was later pushed back to April.

The junction partially reopened in May 2026, but the problems did not end there. Essex and Suffolk Water has continued carrying out repairs in the area and expects its work to be completed by the end of August. Transport for London will then need to carry out resurfacing work before the area can fully reopen.

The long delays have caused frustration among people living and working nearby. Some businesses say customers have been put off because traffic on alternative routes has become so bad that people simply avoid travelling to the area.

Lopez said she became even more concerned after holding meetings with transport and water company officials. Those discussions reportedly raised questions about the decision to reroute and replace a major water main at the same time as work was being carried out on the ageing flyover.

There are also concerns about how much the water-main work could eventually cost and how much of the bill could fall on Transport for London and the Department for Transport.

Lopez asked City Hall for the original estimated cost of replacing the water main and how much it is now expected to cost. She also wanted to know whether TfL had requested additional government funding and how personally involved Sadiq Khan had been in decisions surrounding the project.

After waiting for answers, Lopez wrote to the Mayor again, calling for an urgent response and asking him to offer direct support to businesses and residents affected by the disruption.

She said people in the area have already suffered for more than a year and deserve clear answers about why important decisions were made, how much taxpayers will eventually have to pay and who is responsible for the problems.

Lopez argued that because the Mayor has political responsibility for TfL, he should be willing to explain what has happened.

She also accused Khan of asking Londoners for more money through measures such as higher fares, ULEZ and congestion charges while failing to properly explain how public money is being spent on projects such as Gallows Corner.

According to Lopez, her meetings with TfL and Essex and Suffolk Water raised serious questions about how the project has been managed and why costs may have increased.

She said residents have already waited long enough for the junction to reopen and should not also have to wait for basic information about what went wrong.

Susan Hall, leader of the Conservatives at City Hall, also attacked Khan’s handling of the situation.

Hall claimed the Mayor had “given up on Gallows Corner” and said residents continue to suffer from congestion and disruption without being given clear answers about when the problems will finally end.

Lopez reportedly received correspondence only after the Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted the Mayor’s office about the issue.

The Greater London Authority later responded to the 14 questions submitted by Lopez by saying it could not locate records that fell within the scope of her request.

Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance also wrote to Lopez and apologised for how long the work had taken.

He said Essex and Suffolk Water was expected to complete its work by the end of August and that TfL would announce an expected reopening date as soon as possible. However, he said he was unable to provide answers to the specific questions Lopez had raised.

Lopez remained unhappy with the response. She accused Khan of treating residents and businesses in Havering badly and said she had never received a direct reply from him, even when she raised concerns about businesses struggling because of the disruption.

She also questioned why City Hall could not say whether Khan had personally held a meeting about Gallows Corner.

Lopez argued that the issue goes beyond Havering because TfL’s finances affect transport projects across London. In her view, money lost through mistakes or badly managed projects means there is less available for other important improvements.

For residents and businesses around Gallows Corner, however, the biggest concern remains when the junction will finally return to normal. After more than a year of disruption and several missed deadlines, TfL has still not confirmed a final reopening date.