Pressure is mounting to make a Woolwich roundabout “safe again” as a residents group’s petition is backed by hundreds in just a few days.

The first of the two cyclist’s deaths in the borough happened in Romney Road on May 9, when a 46-year-old cyclist was airlifted to hospital where he later died.

The second happened on May 18 by the TfL-controlled Woolwich Road roundabout, near to the Blackwall Tunnel.

Police said a 37-year-old man, Edgaras Cepura, died at the scene following a crash with a lorry.

The roundabout had been earmarked for vital improvements under City Hall’s Better Junctions Programme, but was not prioritised when plans for Cycle Superhighway 4 were split up under the previous mayor Boris Johnson.

Now, residents in east Greenwich are petitioning to make the Woolwich Road  “safe again”, just days after a cycle group announced a “die-in” protest to be held at the Town Hall.

The petition reads: “Following the recent death of the second cyclist to be killed at this dangerous junction, we, the undersigned residents of East Greenwich request for this junction to be urgently included onto the list of the capitals most dangerous junctions.

“We request for its inclusion onto Sadiq Khan’s Safer Junctions programme which has superseded both the Cycle Superhighway 4, and the Better Junctions programmes that both previously included the junction.”

The petition, which only launched on May 26, has already received more than 500 signatures.

The petition can be found here.

Councillor Aidan Smith, Greenwich West, said the council had fought for improvements since another death in 2009, and was originally optimistic that the Cycle Superhighway from Tower Bridge to Woolwich would improve the junction.

Councillor Aidan Smith added: “I was bitterly disappointed when TfL decided to  divide the CS4 scheme into several phases. In reaction to this, council officers and councillors have fought for funding for the redesign of this junction both through the Silvertown Tunnel planning process and when we have been given opportunities to scrutinise TfL’s work in the borough, most recently in February.

“This junction must be made safer for cyclists and we will continue to fight for this until it happens.”

TfL said it was talking to the council about improvements and a new cycle route, and that it funds annual improvements that could be applied to the junction.

The new leader of the council,  cllr Danny Thorpe, said he was meeting the Mayor’s office tomorrow, May 30.

He said: “I have written and asked for Will Norman, the walking and cycling commissioner, requesting a site visit with council officers and the local cycling campaign group.

“We need to get to grips with what is happening at that roundabout. I am not interested in the blame game, we have to get it right – we have to work together to achieve that.”

A cycling spokesman for the Mayor’s office said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the cyclists who died so tragically. Reducing road danger is a top priority for the Mayor and TfL, which is why we’re investing record amounts in building new infrastructure to make cycling and walking safer across London.

“As outlined in our Strategic Cycle Network we have ambitions to make the route between Greenwich and Woolwich Road safer for cyclists, and we will continue to work with council – who are responsible for the road – to make this a reality.”