22-04-2025
Beleaguered Hammersmith Bridge reopens for cyclists after £2.9million refurb - but still no decision on when drivers can use it
London 's long-beleaguered Hammersmith Bridge has reopened to cyclists following a £2.9million refurbishment, but there is still no decision on when drivers can use it.
The 138-year-old bridge, which links Hammersmith to Barnes, has been closed off to cars since April 2019 after engineers discovered issues in its construction.
The wrought-iron structure was found to be riddled with cracks, leading the Labour-run Hammersmith and Fulham Council to deem it unsafe for traffic - and it has been closed to motorists ever since.
But over the Easter Weekend, the council reopened the listed bridge's main carriageway to cyclists.
The council said the new decking, which was installed in the refurb, would help users of eco-friendly transport such as e-scooters and bikes on the crossing.
The bridge is also now open to pedestrians, after some of the near £3million costs were used install wider pathways to help wheelchair users.
The council added that e-cargo bikes would be trialled on the refurbished carriageways to transport disabled residents and young children across the structure.
Despite the new announcements, there is yet again no information for drivers who have been unable to cross the bridge for more than six years.
MailOnline reported last month that a government-led taskforce is even considering a permanent car-free bridge, with only pedestrians and cyclists allowed.
Minutes from a closed-door meeting revealed that the taskforce were exploring the possibility of banning cars because it would be cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
Meanwhile another proposal, among an original six, would have turned it into an inaccessible monument. Another would have seen the bridge demolished and replaced by a new river crossing. These were both rejected.
The shutdown of the Thames crossing has worsened congestion to much of west London as well as isolating residents in Barnes on the south side of the river, leaving thousands of drivers frustrated.
And the estimated cost of making the creaking infrastructure safe for cars and buses has ballooned to £250million despite initial estimates being less than half of that.
The bill is so far being footed by Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Transport for London (TfL), and the Department for Transport (DfT).
The DfT had intially suggested the council and TfL each pay a third of the repair costs, with the taxpayer funding the rest.
Repair work on Hammersmith Bridge was previously paused in December 2023, when a boat carrying West Ham fans to a match at Fulham collided with the gantry that provides access for workers to the bridge's underside.
The bridge, which survived three IRA attacks, is one of the world's oldest mechanical suspension bridges and Grade-II listed.
Designed by the noted 19th century civil engineer, Sir Joseph Bazalgette, it was built in 1887 and opened by then Prince of Wales, Albert Edward.
It is London's lowest bridge, with a water clearance of just 12 feet at high tide, and one of the capital's weakest, which is why weight restrictions have been in place since 2015.
