The Government to fund either a new bridge or repairs for Hammersmith bridge

Hammersmith bridge is now shut to pedestrians as well as vehicles and cyclists it’s impacting on many lives. We need the government to step in a fix the bridge, or build a new one and we need a temporary one to allow pedestrians and cyclists to get across.

School children can’t get to their schools easily either side now, workers are unable to get across it’s an additional 30-60 mins on people’s journeys. The pollution and traffic has risen in barnes, putney and Fulham due to re routed traffic. Local businesses are going under as footfall has died. The hospital is no longer accessible in emergencies. The government needs to step in to support the local community and councils.

As part of that, the Government wants to see Hammersmith Bridge opened as soon as safely possible, so that – at a minimum – people can cycle and walk across the river, and in time return the bridge to full use.

To help the responsible authorities, TfL and H&F council, find a speedy resolution to the situation, the Secretary of State established a taskforce to bring together the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, TfL and the Ports Authority to assess and progress next steps of the project. To aid the task force, the Department for Transport has appointed Dana Skelley OBE as Project Director, who as former principal engineer for London brings a breadth of experience to the work of the task force and will drive action. The Department has also commissioned its own engineering advice on the Bridge’s state of repair.

The Government continues to have discussions with stakeholders on all relevant matters concerning the bridge, including funding, recognising that the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the Bridge. The Government and Taskforce continues to consider all interim measures, to ensure that Londoners are able to quickly and safely cross the river.

The Department continues to work with local groups and stakeholders to consider all options available to help deliver an immediate solution – including any temporary measures that can be brought in to help with local traffic.

Department for Transport

This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/549607)