The A118 is a road in east London, England which links

Bow Interchange Bow Interchange is a busy grade-separated road junction in London, England, on the East Cross Route (part of the A12 road) between Bow, Stratford, and Bromley-by-Bow at a point where the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham meet. It ...

with

Gallows Corner Gallows Corner is a major road junction in Romford in Greater London, England. It was the site of the gallows of the Liberty of Havering, hence the name. History During the 18th century, Gallows Corner was a copse-sided part of the road and, ...

Romford Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romfo ...

via Stratford and Ilford. The section from Bow Interchange to Gallows Corner formed the original route of the A12 until the designation was transferred to the Eastern Avenue soon after the latter opened in 1925. Parts of the route have an even older pedigree, forming the Camulodunum (

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

) to

Londinium Londinium, also known as Roman London, was the capital of Roman Britain during most of the period of Roman rule. It was originally a settlement established on the current site of the City of London around AD 47–50. It sat at a key cros ...

(

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

) extension of the

Pye Road Pye Road is a Roman road running from the capital of the Iceni at Venta Icenorum (Caistor St Edmund near Norwich) to the original Roman provincial capital and legionary base at Camulodunum (Colchester). The road was later extended, connecting it ...

. Recently, the A118 was extended westwards from its former terminus at Stratford to Bow, taking over the former A11 Stratford High Street when the A12 extension opened in 1999. Thus 70 years after the Eastern Avenue was built, the A12 finally by-passed the whole of the A118, unlike the situation previously, where the A12 ended on the A11 due north of Stratford at Leytonstone.
The road is known as ''Romford Road'' for much its length in the

London Borough of Newham The London Borough of Newham is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by the s ...

, ''High Road'' while in the

London Borough of Redbridge The London Borough of Redbridge is a London borough established in 1965. The borough shares boundaries with the Epping Forest District and the ceremonial county of Essex to the north, with the London Borough of Waltham Forest to the west, the ...

and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and ''London Road'' while in the

London Borough of Havering The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities are Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham. ...

. A final section linking Romford with

is known as ''Main Road''. The path of the road has been altered to bypass Ilford and Romford town centres. The road is served by

London Buses route 86 This is a list of Transport for London (TfL) contracted bus routes in London, England, as well as commercial services that enter the Greater London area (except coaches). Bus services in London are operated by Abellio London, Arriva London, ...

for most its length with other routes serving various sections. The same route is also followed by part of the

Great Eastern Main Line The Great Eastern Main Line (GEML, sometimes referred to as the East Anglia Main Line) is a major railway line on the British railway system which connects Liverpool Street station in central London with destinations in east London and the ...

References

Transport in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Transport in the London Borough of Newham Transport in the London Borough of Redbridge Transport in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Transport in the London Borough of Havering Roads in England Roads in London {{London-road-stub