The prolonged closure of Hammersmith Bridge has been described as a national embarrassment, with residents and campaigners expressing frustration over the lack of progress. The 138-year-old crossing, which links Hammersmith and Barnes, was shut to vehicles in April 2019 after cracks appeared in its pedestals. Despite being reopened to pedestrians and cyclists shortly after, it remains closed to cars, leaving the community isolated.
Nigel Edwards, chair of the Hammersmith Bridge SOS Steering Group, criticised the slow pace of repairs. “We’re one of the major economies in the world and we don’t seem to be able to repair a bridge in seven years. It’s a bit crazy,” he said. The group was formed a year after the closure to push for action, but Edwards noted that no approved plan exists beyond stabilisation work.
The bridge’s repair is complicated by its heritage status and funding disputes. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF), Transport for London (TfL), and the Department for Transport (DfT) agreed in 2021 to share costs equally. However, LBHF has spent £54m so far and is awaiting £20.2m from the other parties. The council says it can only fund its share if allowed to introduce a toll or road user charge.
Felix Pivcevic, from the political movement Looking for Growth, called the situation “a national embarrassment”. He highlighted that an arterial road in the capital remains effectively closed to non-able-bodied people. Fleur Anderson, MP for Putney, noted that the closure exacerbates congestion and pollution, and leaves communities like Roehampton isolated. “For a shift worker, it reduces your ability to do that and have a life at all,” she said.
A glimmer of hope emerged with the government’s new £1bn Structures Fund, which identified Hammersmith Bridge as a candidate for investment. Simon Lightwood MP, minister for roads and buses, confirmed the fund would consider viability for future funding. Anderson remains cautiously optimistic, stressing that the bridge’s repair requires national support. “This extremely ancient listed historic bridge cannot be fixed by a local council. It’s bigger than that,” she said.
