April 7th 2024.
The government has recently announced that they have allocated a substantial amount of money, £13 million to be exact, towards repairing the 137-year-old Hammersmith Bridge. This iconic bridge has been closed to traffic for the past five years, causing inconvenience to the daily commuters who used to rely on it. As part of the repair process, a temporary cycle lane was installed in February, allowing cyclists to cross the bridge. However, this solution was not ideal as cyclists had to either dismount and walk with pedestrians or use the temporary lane.
Fortunately, there is good news for cyclists as the government has promised an additional £2.9 million specifically for revamping and repairing the bridge for their use. This is a welcome step towards making the bridge fully functional again. The latest development in the repair process involves resurfacing part of the road, bringing it one step closer to being fully reopened. In February, the bridge was partially opened for the first time since its closure, but only for cyclists and pedestrians. This was due to safety concerns after engineers found cracks in the pedestals during repair works in 2019, which were further aggravated during a heatwave in 2020.
However, the repair process hit a roadblock when a boat got stuck under the bridge in December, causing damage to the gantry. This unfortunate incident led to a pause in the repair works, leaving Londoners eager for the bridge to be fully functional again. Transport Secretary Mark Harper has reassured the public that the government is committed to supporting efforts to reopen the bridge. He also mentioned that with this additional funding, cyclists and pedestrians can continue to use the bridge safely, and it brings them one step closer to fully reopening it for motorists and all Londoners.
It is worth noting that when the bridge was first closed, the estimated cost of repairs was around £40 million. However, council bosses have now revealed that the true cost of restoring the bridge to full use will be a staggering £250 million. This has prompted discussions about alternative means of transportation, such as a passenger ferry service between Hammersmith and its neighbor, Richmond Upon Thames. Hammersmith and Fulham Council has stressed that this is not just a local issue, but a national and a London issue as well. They have also expressed their commitment to fully reopening the bridge for all vehicles, including buses, but they need the financial support of the Department for Transport and Transport for London, as well as an agreement to fund their share through toll charges. In the meantime, for the latest news from London, visit The Agency's London news hub.
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