Old Street roundabout and station

What we're doing

The transformation of Old Street is a major project. We're modernising the station entrance and an outdated 1960s roundabout to create a much safer, more welcoming environment for everyone.

  • The northwest arm of the roundabout has been permanently closed to all traffic. Work is continuing to create a major new public space with better walking and cycling access to Old Street station
  • Once complete, the former Old Street roundabout will have permanent, fully segregated cycle lanes alongside new pedestrian crossings to make it much easier to walk and cycle
  • We're also modernising the station to create 2 new passenger entrances, a green roof and new lifts to an upgraded retail area
  • The transformation is complex and taking place in a busy location on the Inner Ring Road, above a Tube and Network Rail station

Travel in the area

We'll continue to work closely with the community to keep disruption to a minimum.

Details of how your journey may be affected by our work in the area are on the Old Street roundabout travel advice page.

Check out the quieter times to travel. Our TfL Go app can help you plan your journey.

Next steps

By summer 2023, we will:

  • Complete most work to improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists travelling through the junction, with segregated cycle lanes, new traffic islands and signal-controlled pedestrian crossings. Some pedestrian diversions will be in place while other works are in progress
  • Build a new main station entrance to Old Street station - it will have a green roof to complement the public space and environment. This and the entrance from Cowper Street will replace three of the four previous subway entrances

By early 2024, we will:

  • Build a new lift from street level into the St Agnes Well mall retail concourse below
  • Refurbish the St Agnes Well mall retail concourse
  • Complete improvements to the lighting, paving and street furniture in the new public space

These works will be done Monday-Saturday, 07:00-19:00 with some night works between 20:30-05:30 because of Tube operations.

old street exit map

Closures and station access

The new entrance at Cowper Street provides direct access for customers to the station.

  • The eastbound bus stop 'K' on Old Street (east) is temporarily closed while the team resolves some operational issues. We'll re-open the bus stops as soon as possible
  • The Subway 3 exit is permanently closed. Customers can use either the Cowper Street entrance, the main station interim entrance or the City Road (north) entrance to go in and out of the station
  • Subway 1 (northeast exit) is permanently closed

To get around at surface level, customers can use crossing points at each end of the Old Street junction.

Two-way traffic

Old Street roundabout is running in its final configuration - the northwestern arm of the junction is permanently closed and traffic is flowing two-way.

Measures to manage traffic will stay in place at the junction until the scheme highway works are finished in summer 2023.

The right turns from Old Street west into City Road south and from Mallow Street into Old Street east are permanently banned.

Take extra care when walking, cycling and driving in the area - traffic may be coming from a different direction than you're used to.

What we've done so far

In July 2022 we:

  • Opened an interim exit route through the main station entrance stairs while works continue on the above-ground part of the new entrance
  • Permanently closed the Subway 3 exit

We have also:

  • Completed the refurbishment of the pedestrian crossing on Old Street East
  • Removed the existing roundabout and permanently closed the northwest arm to create a new public space
  • Switched road traffic movements to two-way
  • Opened the new Cowper Street station entrance
  • Refurbished and re-opened the City Road (north) exit stair (northwest exit) with the green line toward Moorfields Eye Hospital reinstated.
  • Closed the ramp of City Road (north) exit (northwest exit) to begin works on the new lift
  • Permanently closed Subway 1 (northeast exit) and opened a new section of segregated cycle lane between City Road (north) and Old Street east
  • Opened a section of new segregated cycle lane between Old Street east and City Road south

Contact

The dedicated public liaison officer can answer questions about the works:

Email: ruth.curtis@morgansindall.com

Telephone: 07971 123 700

For general information about the project, or if you want to receive our quarterly newsletters by email, contact us at:

Email: OldStreetroundabout@tfl.gov.uk

Consultation

We held a public consultation on the proposals for Old Street between November 2014 and January 2015.

Contact us

Call

 Charges apply 0343 222 1234

Write

Email OldStreetroundabout@tfl.gov.uk

Contact us if you have questions or comments about the scheme.