If you’ve been wondering what all the construction buzz is about in west London lately, here’s the scoop: the city is about to embark on a massive reconstruction project that’s going to completely transform the West London Dyke between Cavendish Park and Kensington Bridge.

This isn’t just any ordinary construction project—we’re talking about rebuilding a 2,300-metre-long flood protection structure that’s been keeping our neighbourhoods safe from Thames River flooding for years. The dyke also doubles as part of our beloved Thames Valley Parkway system, so it’s basically pulling double duty as both protector and recreation spot.

The City of London is teaming up with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) to make this happen, and they’ve been working on upgrading different sections since 2007. From Oxford Street West to Kensington Bridge, they’ve already beefed up the dyke to handle what experts call a “250-year flood”—basically the kind of epic flooding that statistically happens once every 250 years.

Now they’re ready to tackle the next chunk, and it sounds pretty intense. The project will start with what’s called an “earth berm” at Cavendish Park—think of it as a raised, sloped mound of compacted soil that acts like nature’s own flood barrier. Then things get more serious near Wharncliffe Avenue Bridge, where they’re installing a reinforced vertical wall before switching back to another earth berm through Mitchell A. Baran Park.

But here’s where it gets really cool for anyone who loves our pathway system: they’re not just rebuilding for flood protection. The whole project includes new hand railings, a pedestrian pathway, and landscaping that’ll extend the Thames Valley Parkway. Basically, we’re getting better flood protection AND better recreational access in one go.

Of course, there’s a bit of a trade-off. If you’re a regular cyclist or pedestrian who uses the Thames Valley Parkway, you’ll need to expect some detours during construction. The city is still finalising the project design and figuring out which trees might need to come down, though they’re promising to save as many as possible.

The timeline is pretty ambitious: tree removal starts this fall, followed by the main construction phase from 2026 to 2027. The finishing touches—including those new pathways and landscaping—won’t be complete until 2028.

If you want the full details straight from the source, the city hosted an open house at Kinsman Recreation Centre on May 8th, and all the project information is available online where residents can ask questions and stay updated on progress.

The project is being designed by Stantec Consulting, and the city has set up a whole system for keeping residents in the loop, including notifications about tree removals and construction updates. They’ve even got specific contact people: Monica McVicar from the City of London and Huda Ghadhban from UTRCA are handling questions and feedback.

Tree removal notifications will go out before work begins in fall 2025, giving residents plenty of heads up about what’s coming to their neighbourhood.