Elevated above the roaring A4, the M4 Elevated Section has a secret. It whispers tales of notorious gangsters, the Kray twins. Rumours swirl that the concrete pillars holding up this section of the M4 entomb their victims. The M4 Elevated Section, also known as the Chiswick Flyover, isn’t just a roadway. It’s a concrete timeline stretching over two miles. Its story began in 1959, not as a motorway, but as a solution to the traffic chaos at Chiswick Roundabout. Imagine 40,000 cars battling for space where the Great West Road, North and South Circular Roads, and Chiswick High Road converged. The flyover, costing £6 million, promised relief. Hollywood icon Jayne Mansfield inaugurated the first half-mile stretch in 1959. This initial section mirrored the path of the A4 below, creating a two-tiered road system. The M4 Elevated Section was extended further in the early 1960s. It now reaches across Boston Manor Park before descending to ground level near Osterley Park. Initially, the flyover wasn’t built to motorway standards. It was only 0.8 kilometers long and 18 meters wide, with narrow hard shoulders. Each supporting column consumed 100 tonnes of concrete. In 1964, the flyover was integrated into the M4 motorway. By 1969, it had gained the grim title of “most dangerous road in Britain”. Fifty years later, in 2009, actress Imogen Stubbs commemorated the flyover’s anniversary. By then, 97,000 vehicles a day were using this elevated stretch of the M4. So, next time you travel the M4 Elevated Section, remember it’s more than just a road. It’s a stage for whispers of gangsters, a testament to evolving engineering, and a symbol of London’s relentless battle against congestion.
Southfields Methodist Church
Curiosity stirred within the heart of Southfields as a new chapter began. Southfields Methodist Church held its first public service