We urge you to sign the petition to call upon the Government and Transport for London to build a temporary bridge, whilst Hammersmith Bridge is being repaired. The bridge is a main artery to cross the Thames and we recommend the temporary bridge designed by Beckett Rankine, which at an estimated cost of £5million could be open in as little as 3 months.

Hammersmith Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic on 10th April 2019. A hairline fracture was found in the cast iron casing around the supporting pedestals. As cast iron is a brittle metal, it could shatter, so had to be closed immediately.

The bridge is 132 years old and was designed for horse and carriage to use it, not the 22,000 cars and 1,800 buses each day! The bridge is a Grade II listed structure and therefore has to have additional approval from English Heritage for any works taking place - so the original is kept original. There is no replacing it or moving it.  Currently the estimate is a £120million repair bill which will take 3 years.

The displacement of vehicular traffic on the surrounding areas (East Sheen, Mortlake, Putney, Fulham, Hammersmith, Richmond Park and Chiswick) and primarily through residential areas, which were never designed to carry the high volume of displaced traffic they are now facing, has been disastrous.

Thank you for your support.

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/hammersmith-bridge-temporary-bridge-mooted-speed-repairs-16-10-2019/