The Government has recommended Hammersmith and Fulham Council submit a bid for a “phased repair” of the bridge instead
Hopes that a Government fund would support the full reopening of Hammersmith Bridge have been dashed due to a requirement that the repairs be completed by April 2030.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which owns the Grade II* listed bridge, had looked to secure backing from the Government’s £1 billion Structures Fund, with a Minister previously saying the crossing would be a “good candidate”.
But the local authority has revealed the Department for Transport (DfT) instead recommended it submit a bid for a “phased repair”, with the aim of keeping the bridge open for pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic.
“The DfT has confirmed its preference for this phased repair bid to the Structures Fund,” the report reads. “There is no financial option available that would allow its full restoration.”
Built in 1887 Hammersmith Bridge is one of the world’s oldest suspension bridges, connecting the West London borough with Barnes south of the river. It was shut in 2019 after micro-fractures were discovered in its pedestals.
Since then the crossing has been reopened to pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic, with the council spending more than £50 million maintaining and keeping it safe.
The funding for the repairs has however proven a major sticking point. Under a 2021 settlement the previous Government struck with TfL it was stated Hammersmith and Fulham Council would pay a third of the total cost.
Transport for London (TfL) and the DfT are to pick up another third each, though the ballooning price tag of full restoration, estimated at £300m, has delayed progress on further works.
The Government’s Structures Fund, which was launched to support the repairs of infrastructure such as roads and bridges, was seen as a potential way in which additional finances could be secured.
However in a Cabinet report to be presented next Monday (July 6) officers note the DfT’s alternative suggestion. This will focus on the most critical life-expired elements of the bridge, and will enable it to remain open for pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic – just not for road traffic.
Officers wrote that without further significant investment, “the bridge is likely to have to fully close again on safety grounds in the short to medium term”.
The council has submitted a pre-application for works costing £128m, with an announcement on whether it has proven successful expected in the autumn. Full repairs enabling motor traffic are, however, not on the table due to a requirement of the fund that schemes be completed by March 31, 2030.
This deadline rules out a full restoration “as the required works are plainly not achievable in that timespan”, officers wrote. “Hence the decision to proceed with a phased repair bid.”
The Labour MP for Putney, Fleur Anderson, recently spoke in Parliament about the challenges the ongoing closure of the bridge to motor vehicles pose to her constituents.
Calling for work to be done to facilitate its full reopening, she said: “It’s not acceptable for a major transport route in our capital city. It’s not acceptable for families trying to get to school or hospital appointments. It’s not acceptable for businesses trying to survive. It’s not acceptable for the many residents who rely on public transport simply to live their daily lives.”
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