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| A4020 | |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Route | 4020 |
| Length mi | 9.2 |
| Direction a | West |
| Terminus a | Uxbridge |
| Direction b | East |
| Terminus b | Acton |
| Counties | Greater London |
| Maintained by | Transport for London |
A4020 is an arterial road in West London linking Uxbridge to Acton via suburbs including Hillingdon, Hayes, Southall, Hanwell and Ealing. The route forms part of the urban road network managed by Transport for London and intersects radial and orbital corridors such as the A40 road, M4 motorway and A312 road. It functions as a local distributor for commuter traffic, bus routes and freight movements serving business parks, retail centres and suburban neighbourhoods.
The A4020 begins at a junction with the A4020-adjacent junction near Uxbridge High Street and proceeds east as Uxbridge Road through Hillingdon and into Hayes. Along its course it passes major landmarks such as Brunel University, the Stockley Park business estate, and the Heathrow Airport peripheral road network before entering Southall where it intersects the Great Western Main Line and Grand Union Canal corridors. Continuing through Hanwell and Ealing Broadway, the road serves retail and civic nodes including Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre, before terminating near Acton Town at the junction with the A40 road and local distributor roads.
The A4020 alternates between single and dual carriageway sections, incorporating signal-controlled junctions at crossings with the A312 road, A406 North Circular Road feeder routes, and multiple local authority boundary transitions between the London Borough of Hillingdon, London Borough of Hounslow, and London Borough of Ealing. Roadside land use includes mixed commercial frontage, conservation areas proximate to Ealing Common, and industrial estates adjacent to Southall Broadway.
The alignment of the A4020 evolved from historic coaching routes connecting Uxbridge and London via western suburbs, charted on 18th- and 19th-century maps alongside the Grand Junction Canal and the Great Western Main Line. During the 20th century the corridor was classified under the 1922 road numbering scheme as part of Greater London's arterial network, later reclassified and upgraded with engineering works in the post-war period to accommodate motorised traffic and suburban expansion linked to RAF South Ruislip and the growth of Heathrow Airport.
Significant mid-century interventions included widening schemes near Hayes to serve industrial employers such as Plessey and Nestlé, and the introduction of coordinated traffic signals influenced by early Transport Research Laboratory pilot studies. Late 20th-century planning decisions reflected shifts from manufacturing to service industries, prompting streetscape improvements in Ealing and pedestrianisation projects near Ealing Broadway station led by the London Borough of Ealing council.
Key nodes on the A4020 include the junction with the A437 road at Uxbridge High Street; the interchange with the B4544 serving Stockley Park; the signalised crossing with the A312 road near Hayes; the level crossing and junction complex at Southall railway station adjacent to the Great Western Main Line; and the eastern junction with the A40 road at Acton.
Other important intersections provide connections to the M4 motorway via feeder routes, links to the A316 road for westbound movements, and local access to estates in Northolt and Perivale. Several junctions are subject to peak-time restrictions and are monitored by Transport for London traffic control centres.
The A4020 corridor is a primary trunk for multiple bus services operated by companies licensed by Transport for London, with major routes calling at hubs including Uxbridge station, Hayes & Harlington railway station, Southall railway station, and Ealing Broadway station. Bus priority measures, real-time passenger information displays and cycle lanes have been incrementally introduced in partnership with the Cycle Infrastructure Design guidelines and the Mayor of London’s transport strategy.
Rail interchanges along the route integrate with the Elizabeth line, Great Western Railway, and London Underground services on the Piccadilly line and Central line via short connecting routes. Traffic signal optimisation and adaptive control schemes managed by TfL Road Network Operations aim to reduce delay, while enforcement cameras and local Controlled Parking Zones are administered by the respective boroughs.
The A4020 passes through culturally diverse communities such as Southall, noted for South Asian commerce and festivals linked to Diwali celebrations, and Ealing, home to the historic Ealing Studios film complex and annual arts festivals. Retail corridors around Ealing Broadway and commercial centres near Hayes and Stockley Park host multinational corporations, retail chains and small businesses contributing to the West London labour market.
Heritage assets along the route include conservation areas in Ealing Common and industrial archaeology remnants near Brentford Dock, while civic institutions such as Ealing Council, Hillingdon Hospital and local chambers of commerce shape development patterns. The corridor supports film production logistics, light industrial supply chains and tourism flows to attractions like Kew Gardens via adjacent radial routes.
Planned schemes affecting the corridor encompass junction remodelling proposals reviewed by the Greater London Authority and local borough planning authorities, targeted resurfacing and drainage upgrades funded through Transport for London maintenance programmes, and cycling infrastructure expansion aligned with the Mayor of London's Transport Strategy 2050. Proposals linked to increased capacity for the Elizabeth line and regional freight consolidation at logistics hubs near Heathrow could alter traffic patterns.
Community-led placemaking projects in Ealing and Southall aim to enhance public realm and pedestrian connectivity, while active traffic management trials and low-emission neighbourhood initiatives sanctioned by the Mayor of London and borough councils seek to reduce congestion and improve air quality along the route.
Category:Roads in London