H&F Council statement on Hammersmith Bridge

Statement in response to safety concerns about Hammersmith Bridge.

Cllr Wesley Harcourt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Residents' Services, said:

"We learned yesterday (1 September) that Transport for London had removed its bridge wardens who were ensuring only one bus crossed the bridge at a time. This was TfL's responsibility and was in clear breach of the agreements put in place to protect the bridge and those who use it. This was simply not acceptable.

"H&F Council gave TfL 24 hours to comply with the one-bus rule. We made it clear that we would be left with no option other than to close the bridge to buses if they did not comply. Within an hour of us making this position clear, TfL had returned the bridge wardens to their duties on Hammersmith Bridge, and apologised to the council for their removal. TfL have undertaken to keep the bridge officers in place, and the council will be monitoring this to ensure that they remain in place.

"It remains the case that there are no issues concerning the structural integrity of Hammersmith Bridge under its current weight restriction.

"The council and TfL will continue with preparatory work at the bridge ahead of a major scheme of improvements due to start  in late 2017.

"This work will assess whether double decker buses would be able to use a newly-strengthened bridge, improving public transport routes and increasing capacity. The improvements will include an improved road surface for cyclists, new pedestrian walkways and the installation of better lighting. The bridge itself will also be fully repainted, restoring it to its former glory."

Translate this website