Hammersmith bridge back in April shows length of closure
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The government declined to go into detail on its view on a decision to be made about repairs to Hammersmith Bridge
Local MPs expressed their distaste over the disruption caused by the closure. Hammersmith bridge, which was closed in 2019, is currently open to pedestrians and cyclists but not road traffic.
Before the closure, 22 thousand vehicles crossed the bridge every day. It was also part of 7 London bus routes.
‘Sense of déjà-vu’
Fleur Anderson MP highlighted the difficulty faced by constituents in the area speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday. In her address , she called the government’s actions on the process of repairing the bridge ‘a disgrace’.
The Hammersmith Bridge Task Force, which has not met since November 2021, proposed that the costs should be shared equally between the government, Transport for London and Hammersmith and Fulham Council. Another proposal by the Labour MP in the Commons was that a small percentage of the costs saved by the government scrapping the second leg of HS2 could pay for the repairs.
The question remains whether the bridge is deemed a piece of strategic infrastructure and if there is a government interest in funding the repairs.
Government Response
The Department for Transport pays on average 80-90% of funds for strategic road schemes in the country. Newly-appointed Minister for Transport Guy Opperman MP stated he did not want to go into details on the process in the department as a business case has been submitted for review and he does not want to prejudice the proceedings. He did state that the bridge is owned by Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which is required to maintain Hammersmith Bridge according to the Highways Act 1980.
The government provided £4 million in the Transport for London extraordinary funding and finance agreement of 31 October 2020, to enable further investigations needed to confirm the safety of the bridge.
Not only Hammersmith Bridge
Both Millennium Bridge and Tower in Central London were closed for urgent repairs in October. Both of these bridges are owned and maintained by the City Bridge Foundation, which funds the repairs from tolls, rents and donations it has accumulated over its 900 year history.
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HeadlineMPs urge Transport Minister for decision on Hammersmith Bridge repair funds
Short HeadlineMPs urge Minister for bridge repair decision
StandfirstHammersmith Bridge has been closed to road traffic since early 2019. It is estimated the repairs would cost £250m.
The government declined to go into detail on its view on a decision to be made about repairs to Hammersmith Bridge
Local MPs expressed their distaste over the disruption caused by the closure. Hammersmith bridge, which was closed in 2019, is currently open to pedestrians and cyclists but not road traffic.
Before the closure, 22 thousand vehicles crossed the bridge every day. It was also part of 7 London bus routes.
‘Sense of déjà-vu’
Fleur Anderson MP highlighted the difficulty faced by constituents in the area speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday. In her address , she called the government’s actions on the process of repairing the bridge ‘a disgrace’.
The Hammersmith Bridge Task Force, which has not met since November 2021, proposed that the costs should be shared equally between the government, Transport for London and Hammersmith and Fulham Council. Another proposal by the Labour MP in the Commons was that a small percentage of the costs saved by the government scrapping the second leg of HS2 could pay for the repairs.
The question remains whether the bridge is deemed a piece of strategic infrastructure and if there is a government interest in funding the repairs.
Government Response
The Department for Transport pays on average 80-90% of funds for strategic road schemes in the country. Newly-appointed Minister for Transport Guy Opperman MP stated he did not want to go into details on the process in the department as a business case has been submitted for review and he does not want to prejudice the proceedings. He did state that the bridge is owned by Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which is required to maintain Hammersmith Bridge according to the Highways Act 1980.
The government provided £4 million in the Transport for London extraordinary funding and finance agreement of 31 October 2020, to enable further investigations needed to confirm the safety of the bridge.
Not only Hammersmith Bridge
Both Millennium Bridge and Tower in Central London were closed for urgent repairs in October. Both of these bridges are owned and maintained by the City Bridge Foundation, which funds the repairs from tolls, rents and donations it has accumulated over its 900 year history.
