iStock
London’s Hammersmith Bridge, which has been closed to cars since 2019, is going to be resurfaced to enable cycle use.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced £2.9m in government funding for the project, which will allow cyclists to cross the bridge separately from pedestrians.
Hammersmith Bridge was completed in 1887 and used for over 100 years. However, it was closed to traffic in 2019 due to safety concerns after cracks were discovered in the bridge’s pedestals. It was closed completely between August 2020 and July 2021, after which limited use resumed for cyclists and pedestrians.
A temporary cycle lane was installed by the local borough in February, but the new funding will ensure a more permanent solution. It is expected to be completed in November.
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham owns the bridge and is responsible for its maintenance. The new lane will be in operation until further strengthening work can begin.
This latest investment takes total DfT funding on the bridge to almost £13m as ministers continue to work with the local borough and Transport for London (TfL) to fully reopen the bridge to traffic as soon as possible.
Transport secretary Mark Harper said: “Cyclists and pedestrians will be able to continue to use the bridge safely, with this latest funding from government another important step towards fully reopening the bridge for motorists and all Londoners as quickly as possible.”
Of the nearly £13m government investment provided so far, an initial £4m went towards immediate mitigation works to the structure, which involved blast cleaning and inspections to the bridge’s pedestals, helping ensure there were no long-term risks to its reopening.
The department then provided £2.9m to the local borough to stabilise the bridge in 2022, with an additional £2.5m invested in 2023 to inspect the structure.
According to a BBC report in January, the full cost of reopening the bridge has nearly doubled from initial estimates to £250m.
The entire bill is to be split three ways between the local borough, DfT and TfL, although Hammersmith has said it can only afford its share if it can raise money via a toll.
