A pedestrian crossing for one of the world's busiest intersections is to be created at Oxford Circus.
A £5m Japanese-inspired makeover which will allow shoppers to walk across Oxford Circus diagonally for the first time will be created to open in November.
The design is taken from Tokyo’s Shibuya crossing, renowned for allowing people to cross with ease.
Oxford Circus’ existing barriers and street clutter will be ripped out and remodelled in order to give pedestrians the freedom to move around quickly both straight ahead and diagonally - across both Regent Street and Oxford Street.
The redesigned road will double the amount of pavement and more space around the exits to Oxford Circus Tube station will be freed up.
The revamped crossing will open in time for the Regent Street and Oxford Street Christmas lights switch on in November.
Cllr Danny Chalkley, Westminster City Council's cabinet member for environment and transport, said: ‘Taking our inspiration from the Far East makes perfect sense as the Japanese have perfected the art of managing large numbers of people through good design and engineering, and the West End, like Tokyo's Shibuya district, is a fashion and entertainment hub which attracts visitors in huge numbers.’
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