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Emerge onto terra firma from Hammersmith<\/a> Station and head towards what is often described by locals as a \u201cbaffling embarrassment\u201d, where one of the oldest suspension bridges in the world still stands despite its many threats, over the years, to fall into the Thames. Back in 2019, after engineers conducting a safety assessment noticed micro-fractures in the cast iron pedestals holding the bridge together, the crossing was closed to motor vehicles. Since then, Hammersmith Bridge<\/a> \u2014 a Grade II* listed, ornate green marvel made out of wood and wrought iron constructed 140 years ago \u2014 has become the site of a bureaucratic deadlock that has often been described as a \u201cdisgrace for London<\/a>\u201d. Locals complain about their experiences being ignored, dismissed or weaponised in the interest of political point-scoring.<\/p>\n Bridge of sighs: a skyrocketing repair bill<\/p>\n The Victorian artery was initially built for horse and carriage, but some 22,000 cars and six bus routes were passing over the bridge every day. After millions were spent on stabilisation works, the bridge was reopened to pedestrians and cyclists in 2021. Almost seven years since it was closed to traffic and, crucially, public transport, costs to fully fix the bridge to accommodate cars have ballooned to an eye-watering \u00a3250\u2009million. But who foots the bill? Currently, the understanding is that the total cost for the repairs would be split three ways between the London borough of Hammersmith & Fulham<\/a>, the Department for Transport<\/a> (Dft) and Transport for London<\/a> (TfL). <\/p>\n Hence the hold-up: arguments over who pays what\u2026 and even if they will pay at all.<\/p>\n Seven years after Hammersmith Bridge was closed, locals are still waiting to find out what will happen<\/p>\n Getty Images<\/p>\n As the May elections approach, the debate is hotting up again. Minister for Roads and Buses Simon Lightwood recently signalled that a deal to break the funding stalemate is getting closer<\/a>, but with no indication of how or when the potential donation from the Government\u2019s newly-introduced \u201cStructures Fund\u201d would be determined. Critics say that the timing of this announcement in the lead-up to the elections is politically motivated. <\/p>\n What is undeniable is the seismic impact that the bridge\u2019s closure is having on residents. The closure of bus routes is one of the biggest issues. Without refurbishment, buses will not be able to cross the bridge due to the 1.5-tonne weight limit \u2014 a standard London bus can weigh up to 18 tonnes when full. Richmond Liberal Democrat councillor and transport committee member Marjory Millum says that there had been \u201ca hasty, emergency reshuffling of bus routes when the bridge closed, which was done very quickly and without much thought\u201d. <\/p>\n Simon Roach, centre director of Castelnau Community Centre in Barnes on the south side of the bridge, says the closure of several bus routes has meant that elderly residents in Barnes can feel trapped. Those suffering from mobility issues or illness cannot always take a lengthier bus journey to Hammersmith, which diverts through Putney. \u201cThere are lots of people who need to go to Charing Cross Hospital, who are having to undergo stressful journeys and potentially risk not making their appointment in time,\u201d says Roach. For the less affluent, the lack of public transport across the bridge \u201ccuts off their ability to shop at prices they can afford. Lots of those people are forced to shop very locally, either in Tesco locals or Sainsbury\u2019s locals where we know the prices are pumped-up, or shops in Barnes which can cater more to people who have a greater amount of disposable income,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Protests and counter-protests<\/p>\n There is, of course, a knock-on effect, too. Putney and Roehampton MP Fleur Anderson says that Putney\u2019s \u201cless resilient\u201d transport network has been overwhelmed. People have complained locally that traffic doesn\u2019t disappear, it gets funnelled elsewhere. <\/p>\n Campaigners, however, are quick to refute this belief. Charles Campion, an architect and urban planner from Barnes, explained how traffic data disproved the idea that tens of thousands of cars had fed into traffic elsewhere. \u201cTraffic\u2019s down on all bridges,\u201d he says. Indeed, Freedom of Information (FOI) data published by TfL in 2025 proved that river-crossing traffic on nearby bridges had largely decreased over the years. Millum says, \u201cThe people that want the bridge opened [to cars] will not accept the data. There are less cars on the road. People are working from home, people are accepting the commutes are just too onerous, and taking alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n Many residents have had enough. Anderson held a protest in January of about a hundred residents, urging the Government to fully reopen the bridge. She says that when the bridge initially closed, a task force was set up, but at some point, \u201cthe task force just stopped, and nothing else happened for quite a long time. And in that rally, we were really saying, please can the task force meet again?\u201d<\/p>\n Millum told The Standard whenever she attempted to engage with local and central government about the bridge, she was often \u201creferred back to this task force which nobody seemed to know anything about, how often they met, what remit they had\u201d. <\/p>\n Hammersmith Bridge has been closed to vehicles since 2019<\/p>\n PA<\/p>\n Not everyone agrees that the closure of the bridge has been wholly detrimental. A polite counter-protest gathered in rebuttal to Anderson\u2019s demonstration, organised by locals in the Hammersmith Bridge is Open campaign. They highlighted the silver linings of the bridge remaining open to just pedestrians and cyclists \u2014 cleaner air, less noise pollution and safer journeys for those on foot or bike. Susie, who is disabled and crosses the bridge two to three times a week on a non-standard bicycle, said that since its closure, the bridge had become \u201ca safe space for those who are so vulnerable\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not the only disabled person to use that bridge. There are other wheelchair users and mobility scooters. We can line up, go down that bridge together having a conversation like three pedestrians would on a pavement,\u201d Susie said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s an experience that is invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n And despite MP Sarah Olney\u2019s speech during the January protest stressing the importance of \u201cblue lights\u201d access to the bridge, no emergency service has reported issues over response times. The London Ambulance Service told The Standard that they had \u201cwell-established plans in place to mitigate any impact caused by the works\u201d. And a London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: \u201cOur attendance targets are to get the first fire engine to an incident within a London-wide average of six minutes and a second fire engine within a London-wide average of eight minutes. Crews in Richmond upon Thames continue to meet this target.\u201d<\/p>\n What are the options? Conservative opposition on the local council has called for a temporary, military-style bridge<\/a> to allow cars to cross again while repairs take place. A faction of people online insist the bridge should be torn down and replaced with a newer model. One resident, Keren, who has lived near Hammersmith Bridge since the 1990s, called the idea \u201coutrageous\u201d, adding, \u201cit\u2019s not only a heritage, genuinely iconic bridge, but it\u2019s functioning. Thousands of people go across it every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Locals complain that the debacle has been reduced to a \u201cmotorist versus cyclist debate\u201d, whereas the underlying story is one of government mismanagement. The consensus across all campaigners is that reinstating some form of public transport is crucial and would, according to Roach from Castelnau who speaks to residents daily, \u201canswer a lot of people\u2019s prayers\u201d.<\/p>\n The bridge is a financial albatross around Hammersmith & Fulham council\u2019s neck<\/p>\n Leo Murray, a local environmentalist who runs the Hammersmith Bridge is Open campaign, said that politics has muddied the waters \u2014 and that the issue is largely an economic one. \u201cIt\u2019s a financial albatross around someone\u2019s neck; which is currently around Hammersmith & Fulham council\u2019s neck.\u201d The cash-strapped borough says it cannot afford to pay its share of the \u00a3250m repair costs unless it raises money through a toll, an idea TfL and the DfT haven\u2019t publicly supported.<\/p>\n Nobody is willing to take responsibility for the state of the bridge, and it has become something of a political football. During my reporting, I was bounced around several press offices who claimed it wasn\u2019t their jurisdiction, and directed me to each other. Millum says, \u201cIt\u2019s the three of them passing it around: TfL, central government and a Labour-controlled Hammersmith & Fulham.\u201d<\/p>\n A TfL spokesperson said: \u201cWe will continue to work closely alongside the Department for Transport, the borough and other stakeholders on the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce to agree the right solution which includes ongoing discussions on how future work on the bridge might be funded.\u201d It doesn\u2019t sound like the DfT will be digging into their pockets any time soon, with their spokesperson batting away any hope of future funding, explaining that: \u201cThe repair and maintenance of Hammersmith Bridge is the responsibility of the London borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. We have already provided \u00a317m to keep the bridge open for walking and cycling, and will continue to work closely with the council and Transport for London as we consider future funding through our new Structures Fund.\u201d<\/p>\n It is one of the world\u2019s oldest suspension bridges \u2014 which is why it is also one of Britain\u2019s most expensive to repair<\/p>\n Hammersmith & Fulham Council spokesperson<\/p>\n But residents aren\u2019t convinced that Hammersmith & Fulham council is committed to resolving the issue. Murray, who was the co-founder and director of innovation at climate charity Possible until recently, claimed that an alternative solution posed to the council was met with much resistance. In 2023, Possible had proposed, fully designed and costed autonomous electric \u201cshuttle pods\u201d integrated with Oyster cards and contactless payment, which were capable of carrying 10 people at a time across the river. Trials of such pods have been readily available to use in Milton Keynes since last year. The cost came to approximately \u00a310\u2009million, a nominal amount compared to the \u00a3250\u2009million figure. But Murray claimed interactions with the council were like \u201cdrawing blood from a stone\u201d and he had to resort to petitions and FOI requests after being \u201cunable to get an audience\u201d. A council spokesperson disputed this account, telling The Standard, \u201cIt is not correct to say that we failed to engage with Possible. We discussed accessible crossing options with them and we continue to explore all possible options.\u201d<\/p>\n No one has the money to repair it<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of polarisation, but it\u2019s actually very simple,\u201d says Campion. \u201cNo one\u2019s got \u00a3250m to rebuild or refurbish the bridge.\u201d A council spokesperson explains: \u201cIt was built in 1887, and is one of the world\u2019s oldest suspension bridges \u2014 which is why it is also one of Britain\u2019s most expensive to repair.\u201d Following a bid submission last year, they are \u201ccurrently waiting to hear whether the Grade II* listed bridge has been allocated money in the new \u00a31\u2009billion Structures Fund<\/a> for transport infrastructure including bridges, tunnels and roads.\u201d<\/p>\n Millum says she agrees that \u201cHammersmith & Fulham certainly don\u2019t have the finance\u201d. But she suspects that they also don\u2019t have the will to do it. \u201cIt\u2019s always been the case that it\u2019s our residents on our side of the river that need that bridge more than theirs.\u201d Residents expect more \u201copaque statements\u201d and \u201cgovernment speak\u201d as the May local elections approach.<\/p>\n I visit the bridge on a rainy Friday, just as local children are released from nearby schools. Even in the horrid weather, the bridge is busy with chatting parents and children, teenagers in uniform, damp runners, Lime bikes, scooters and tricycles. Staff of nearby businesses, pubs and caf\u00e9s can\u2019t recall what business was like before 2019. Everyone is convinced the bridge will \u201cnot go back to what it was\u201d. But many ask: what if the bridge could be a chance for innovation, rather than a symbol of failure?<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a real opportunity to look at how cities can work differently. But also there\u2019s a need on the bridge itself to do something innovative,\u201d Campion says. \u201cThere\u2019s a solution out there which could point us to the way, the future of how we get around our cities.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Emerge onto terra firma from Hammersmith Station and head towards what is often described by locals as a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12070,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[1181,5684,5685,5683,27,2942,1043],"class_list":{"0":"post-12069","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-department-for-transport","9":"tag-hammersmith","10":"tag-hammersmith-fulham","11":"tag-hammersmith-bridge","12":"tag-london","13":"tag-special-report","14":"tag-transport-for-london"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116390099903290400","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12069\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Hammersmith](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Hammersmith-Bridge.jpeg\")
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