Hammersmith Bridge mothballed as a ‘monument’ among recent ideas aired over its future

By Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter

Proposals to turn Hammersmith Bridge into a completely inaccessible “monument”, or to demolish and replace it with a brand new river crossing, were both suggested by the Government at a recent meeting.

The ideas for the bridge’s future – both of which were rejected – were put on the table by the Department for Transport as two among six solutions for the structure’s poor state of repair at the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce summit in January.

Minutes from the meeting obtained through a Freedom of Information request also reveal that cars could potentially be banned from using the bridge forever, as taskforce members acknowledged it could mean lower restoration costs and bring environmental benefits.

The 138-year-old bridge has been closed to cars, buses and vans since April 2019, when cracks appeared in the structure’s pedestals. Only pedestrians, and cyclists who dismount from their bikes, are currently able to use it – although the road running through the middle of the bridge is still shut as it is being redecked.

The cost of fully repairing and reopening the crossing has risen sharply in the years since it closed, and was estimated last year at £250m. Hammersmith and Fulham council owns the bridge but cannot afford to repair it alone.

On January 30, the Labour Government re-assembled the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce. The group, which was originally established by Tory Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, hadn’t met for more than three years.

The taskforce includes DfT officials, council representatives, MPs on either side of the bridge, Transport for London, and Sir Sadiq Khan’s deputy mayor for transport, Seb Dance. January’s meeting was chaired by local transport minister Simon Lightwood at the DfT’s Westminster headquarters, Great Minster House.

In the meeting, Stephen Cowan, leader of Hammersmith and Fulham council, told the taskforce about the bridge’s history and the project to repair it, which has seen the council already spend £45m over the last six years on works to restore and stabilise the structure.

One of the council’s executive directors then set out the so-called ‘Foster-Cowi’ proposal to reopen the bridge for all users, including motor vehicles. This would entail building a temporary, double-decker truss through the existing bridge to allow the structure to be repaired while vehicles drive through it.

This was followed by a further five options presented by the DfT’s chief engineer David Coles, with included a total bridge closure, with no access allowed on what would effectively become a monument.

The other options were bridge repair and restoration to allow just pedestrians and cyclists or a repair that would also allow buses. There was also consideration for a replacement bridge with a weight limit.

Options were ruled out where the ongoing cost of maintaining an unusable structure and the considerable cost of constructing a new bridge were a factor.

Demolishing the existing bridge would also have run into difficulties given that the structure is Grade II-listed and therefore protected by Historic England.

The minutes confirm that the taskforce has not ruled out permanently banning cars, and possibly buses, from using the bridge “due to the potential lower cost of construction and potential environmental benefits, although taskforce members recognised there may be a cost in terms of possible congestion in the surrounding areas and impact on bus routes”.

The Foster-Cowi proposal was “also not ruled out given the benefits of restoring car accessibility, although concerns were raised regarding the considerable cost required”.

While keeping the bridge closed to private motor vehicles would frustrate the area’s more car-reliant residents, it would also be welcomed by those who say the closure has helped reduce air pollution.

“We have the opportunity to create an iconic car-free crossing in our capital city, and the taskforce should seize it,” said Izzy Romilly, sustainable transport manager at climate charity Possible.

She added: “What residents need is to be able to easily get to shops, schools and hospitals across the river, and we can achieve that without flooding the area with more cars, congestion and pollution.”

A DfT spokeswoman said: “The Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce met to consider the potential next steps for the long-term future of the bridge. A range of possible engineering solutions were discussed, and further updates will be made available in due course.”