The Willesden and Kensal Green Connection project comprises two phases. The first phase of the project was completed in May 2025.
The second phase of works will involve installing new cables along the canal towpath. This phase is estimated to begin in July 2025 and complete in winter 2025. These works will see the installation of new link boxes, fibre cables, and joint bays to run the cable along the canal. Our teams will also be planting new hedgerows along the towpath during this phase.
In June 2025 we will be hosting a series of community drop-ins and a webinar ahead of our phase two works taking place to share more information on these works and ask any questions you may have.
Details and timings of the events taking place in June can be found below:
Event type | Date | Time | Location |
Online webinar | Tuesday 10 June | 6-7pm | Online, register to attend. |
Pop-up event | Tuesday 17 June
| 5-7pm | Entrance to Sainsbury’s canal side at Ladbroke Grove |
Pop-up event | Wednesday 18 June | 5-7pm | Outside The Collective |
Pop-up event | Thursday 19 June | 5-7pm | The canal access on Barretts Green Road |
In-person drop in | 28 June 2025 | 10am-2pm | Queens Park Court Community Hall, Droop St, London W10 4QD |
Sections of the towpath will need to be closed during this phase to enable our engineers to work safely and efficiently along the canal. During works, there will be no end to end access along the towpath, meaning pedestrians and cyclists will need to follow diversion routes.
Whilst we installed pontoons for the works that took place during phase one, this is not viable during the second phase of works. The installation of new cables is a ‘rolling process’ rather than static, meaning lengthy sections of the Grand Union Canal towpath need to be closed to enable cable installation.
Diversions
There will be three separate diversions as part of phase two, these will be implemented in stages and will not overlap.
The first closure along the towpath will take place from Monday 14 July 2025 until Sunday 3 August 2025. The diversion route during this closure will be from Scrubs Lane to Ladbroke Grove Road.
View the diversion route from Scrubs Lane to Ladbroke Grove Road on google maps.
The second closure along the towpath will take place from Monday 4 August to Sunday 5 October 2025 when this section of the towpath will be reopened and restored.
View the stepped diversion route from Old Oak Lane to Scrubs Lane on google maps.
There will be no step-free access between Scrubs and the towpath from Monday 14 July to Sunday 5 October. If you require step-free access between Old Oak Lane and Ladbroke Grove Road during this period, please see the additional diversion below.
View the step-free diversion route from Old Oak Lane to Ladbroke Grove on google maps.
The third and final closure along the towpath will take place from Monday 6 October until Sunday 26 October when this section of the towpath will be opened and restored. The diversion route during this closure will be from Barratts Green Road to Old Oak Lane.
View the diversion route from Barratts Green Road to Old Oak Lane on google maps.
Night works
Some of our cable installation works will need to take place over two weekends, outside of regular working hours. This is to ensure that works are completed as soon as possible, and we can minimise the amount of time that the towpath will be closed.
The first weekend of night works will take place from Saturday 26 July 2025 to Monday 28 July, during the closure from Ladbroke Grove to Scrubs Lane. Works will begin at 7am on Saturday 26 July, finishing at 5am on Monday 28 July.
The second weekend of night works will take place from Saturday 18 October to Monday 20 October, during the closure from Old Oak Lane to Barratts Green Road. These works will also take place from 7am on Saturday 18 October to 5am Monday 20 October.
Disruption during these works will be minimal with the only works generating noise coming from the cable pulling equipment.