They asked whether respondents supported the proposals for a temporary walking and cycling bridge, and to what extent they felt it important to maintain walking and cycling access across the river while the main bridge is being repaired. In June and July 2019, Richmond Council conducted a survey to establish how the closure of the bridge to vehicular traffic is impacting the local community. Video, Former pro-surfer survives close call with shark, 'Today's the day our fathers bless us to be men' Video, 'Today's the day our fathers bless us to be men', Four Covid rules broken by the White House. These panels were subsequently replaced in 1987. It was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette and opened in 1887. However, the pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on TfL’s finances. The current bridge, which is Grade II* listed and was designed by civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, i… In 2015, H&F Council began a series of thorough reviews. [5] The construction of the bridge was first sanctioned by an Act of Parliament on 9 June 1824,[6] which established the Hammersmith Bridge Company. More information is available on the Hammersmith and Fulham Council website. [26], The bridge's closure was extended to pedestrians and cyclists on 13 August 2020 after the structural issues worsened due to a heatwave. "A critical piece of London's infrastructure cannot be allowed to crumble into the Thames, while the government and London mayor wrangle over responsibility for the funding.". Hammersmith is a district of west London, England, located 4.3 miles west-southwest of Charing Cross. Transport for London has financed the first £25m of the repair project but the main funding source has yet to be decided. The roadway was slightly curved upwards, 16 feet (4.9 m) above high water, and the extreme length from the back of the piers on shore was 822 feet 8 inches (250.75 m), supporting 688 feet (210 m) of roadway. It links the southern part of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side of the river, and Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, on the south side of the river. This has caused the bridge’s natural and necessary flexibility to become compromised. to investigate the bridge's condition, and work towards reopening the bridge for cyclists and pedestrians, and later enabling the return of motor traffic. .css-8h1dth-Link{font-family:ReithSans,Helvetica,Arial,freesans,sans-serif;font-weight:700;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;}.css-8h1dth-Link:hover,.css-8h1dth-Link:focus{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Read about our approach to external linking. Hammersmith Bridge Road in Hammersmith was also constructed with the bridge, together with Upper Bridge Road (now Castelnau) and Lower Bridge Road (now Lonsdale Road) in Barnes. With the abolition of the Metropolitan Board of Works on 21 March 1889, ownership of Hammersmith Bridge passed to the new London County Council. They were also asked on their views on the bridge's future. In addition, temporary hoarding and additional sensors have been installed. On 26 April 1996, the Provisional Irish Republican Army attempted to destroy the bridge after installing two large Semtex devices on the south bank of the Thames. The new bridge was built by Dixon, Appleby & Thorne and was opened by the Prince of Wales on 11 June 1887. There were eight chains, composed of wrought-iron bars, each five inches deep and one thick. [13] From these, vertical rods were suspended, which supported the roadway, formed of strong timbers covered with granite. Once completed, it will enable cars and buses (including the heavier electric single-deckers) to cross the bridge. It links the southern part of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side of the river, and Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, on the south side of the river. It was operated as a toll bridge, with the toll house located at the Hammersmith end of the bridge. Hammersmith Bridge to be fully closed from today, Residents give their views on the future of Hammersmith Bridge, Vital bus route reinstated following Hammersmith Bridge community meeting, Community meeting to update residents and businesses on Hammersmith Bridge, Residents’ needs on both sides of Hammersmith Bridge are the priority, Hammersmith and Fulham Council urged to engage with partners over future of Hammersmith Bridge, Hammersmith Bridge to close to vehicular traffic, There is currently no pedestrian or cyclist access across the bridge, Motorcycles and scooters are not be permitted on the bridge and will need to seek alternative routes to cross the river, No boats are allowed to pass under the bridge (Port of London Authority), Access restrictions will continue to be reviewed on a fortnightly basis, 88% of respondents to the questionnaire supported or strongly supported the scheme, although some respondents objected in principle to the proposals, 95% of respondents to the questionnaire agreed or strongly agreed that it is important to maintain walking and cycling at Hammersmith, Procurement of design and build contracts (expected Spring 2020). Councillor Alexander Ehmann, for Richmond Council, said: "What was urgent before is now an emergency. Deficits incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic made it unlikely that the bridge would be repaired in the near future. This phase is funded by the initial funding of £25 million from TfL and is being carried out by Kier. The current bridge, which is Grade II* listed and was designed by civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, is the second permanent bridge on the site,[2] and has been attacked three times by Irish republicans. Neither the Council or the transportation authority had the funds to proceed. On 13 August 2020, Hammersmith and Fulham Council informed us that Hammersmith Bridge will be closed to all members of the public, including pedestrians and cyclists, from 5pm, following expert technical advice. However, none have received funding from Government to date, and the ongoing impact of the pandemic means Government support is now needed more than ever. Four of these had six bars in each chain; and four had only three, making thirty-six bars, which form a dip in the centre of about 29 feet (8.8 m). Due to the significant petition put forward by our residents, we are seeking a meeting to review the possibilities of a temporary bridge. It was never designed to carry this volume and weight of traffic and the constant vibration from those vehicles damages the bridge and road surface. The feedback has now been evaluated and a report has been passed onto Hammersmith and Fulham Council and TfL to be considered.