Hammersmith Bridge demolition among new proposals

Plans to turn Hammersmith Bridge into an inaccessible "monument" or demolish it and replace it with a new crossing were two suggestions made by the government at a recent meeting.

The ideas - both rejected - were among six put forward by the Department for Transport (DfT) to resolve the structure's poor state.

Minutes from a January meeting, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, revealed cars could be banned from the bridge forever as Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce members accepted it could lower restoration costs and bring environmental benefits.

The 138-year-old structure has been closed to vehicles since April 2019, when cracks appeared in its pedestals, which support the deck.

Currently, only pedestrians and cyclists who dismount from their bikes are allowed to use it.

The road in the middle of the bridge is still shut as it is being redecked.

The cost of a full repair and reopening has risen sharply since it closed, and was estimated last year at £250m.

It is unclear how long a full repair programme would take, but Putney MP Fleur Anderson estimated it could take until 2035.

The taskforce includes DfT officials, council representatives, MPs from 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.

The group met at the DfT's Westminster headquarters, Great Minster House, for about 90 minutes.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council owns the bridge but says it cannot afford to repair it on its own.

Authority leader Stephen Cowan told the taskforce the council had already spent £45m on the structure in the last six years.

One plan, the so-called 'Foster-Cowi' proposal, and referred to as "option zero", would reopen the bridge for all users, including vehicles.

Others included:

• Bridge closure, rendering the structure as "a monument"
• Repair for pedestrians, bikes and two single-decker buses
• Repair and restoration for pedestrians and cyclists only
• A new bridge with a 44-tonne weight limit
• A replacement bridge, with the existing structure staying in place

Options one, four and five were ruled out by attendees on cost grounds.

Demolishing the existing bridge could be problematic as the structure is Grade II-listed.

The minutes confirmed permanently banning cars, and possibly buses, from the bridge has not been ruled out.

The Foster-Cowi "option zero" proposal was also not ruled out.

The taskforce's decision may ultimately be shaped by how much cash is allocated to the DfT in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' June spending review.

While keeping the bridge closed to private vehicles would frustrate some, it would be welcomed by others.

"We have the opportunity to create an iconic car-free crossing in our capital city, and the taskforce should seize it," said Izzy Romilly, of climate charity Possible.

A DfT spokeswoman said: "The Government faces a difficult situation with Hammersmith Bridge, where decisions about its future have been ducked for many years."

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