Cyclists will be able to cross the historic Hammersmith Bridge
safely thanks to Government support, with Ministers delivering a
further £3 million investment – resurfacing the bridge to provide
a new cycle lane.
Once the resurfacing works are completed, cyclists will no longer
have to dismount from their bikes and use the separate footpath,
allowing them to cross the bridge quickly and separately from
pedestrians.
A temporary cycle lane was installed by the London Borough of
Hammersmith and Fulham on 13 February, which is set to be open
until the stabilisation works resume in May.
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham owns the bridge and
is responsible for its maintenance, with this new Government
funding enabling the introduction of a new, fully resurfaced
cycle lane expected in November this year, until further
strengthening work can begin. This cycle lane will be a
significant upgrade on the existing temporary cycle lane.
The Government played a pivotal role in ensuring the bridge was
reopened to cyclists and pedestrians and for river traffic to
pass underneath the bridge in July 2021, after it was shut in
2019 following the discovery of cracks in its pedestals.
This latest investment takes total funding from the Department to
support the bridge to almost £13 million, as Ministers continue
to work closely with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
and Transport for London (TfL) to fully reopen the bridge to
traffic as soon as possible, subject to costs.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:
“Today's new funding is the latest example of the Government's
ongoing commitment to support efforts to reopen Hammersmith
Bridge.
“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 £13 million Government investment provided so far,
an initial £4 million 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 £2.9
million to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
to stabilise the bridge in 2022, with an additional £2.5 million
invested in 2023 to inspect the structure.
Notes to editors
- Any grant paid to the London Borough of Hammersmith and
Fulham must only be used for the stated purpose of resurfacing
the bridge to install a new cycle lane. If the Borough uses the
funding for any other purpose, the Department may withhold or
request the repayment of the £2.9 million investment.
