Editing Hammersmith Bridge (section)

== Renewed structural problems ==

<!--The bridge was refurbished in 1973 with replacement steel trusses, improvements to the mid-span hangers and new deck expansion joints. New deck timbers were installed and surfacing was changed from wooden blocks to coated plywood panels. These panels were subsequently replaced in 1987.{{cn}} In 1984, the Barnes-side tower bearings failed under a heavy load and had to be replaced.{{cn}}-->In February 1997, the bridge was closed to all traffic except buses, bicycles, motorcycles, emergency vehicles and pedestrians to allow further essential repair works. Structural elements of the bridge were corroded or worn, in particular cross girders and deck surfacing, as well as some areas of masonry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hammersmithbridge.co.uk/ |title=Hammersmith Bridge |website=hammersmithbridge.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209062200/http://www.hammersmithbridge.co.uk/ |archive-date=9 December 2007}}</ref><!--The bridge re-opened in July 1998 to all road users, subject to a {{convert|7.5|t|adj=on}} weight restriction and with a priority measure in place for buses. Local bus flow was controlled by [[traffic lights]], and routes (such as the [[London Buses route 72|number 72]]) were required to convert from [[double-decker bus]]es to smaller single-deckers to reduce the load on the bridge.{{cn}} As part of the renovations following the 2000 bomb attack, the bridge received a complete new paint job restoring it to the original colour scheme of 1887, and new lighting was installed.{{cn}}--> The bridge was declared a [[Listed building|Grade II* listed structure]] in 2008, providing protection to preserve its special character from unsympathetic development.<ref name="Listed">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7750180.stm "London bridges get listed status"], ''[[BBC News]]'', 26 November 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2008.</ref> The bridge was again temporarily closed to traffic to allow repairs in early 2014.<ref name="BBC-25Jan2014">{{cite news |title=Hammersmith Bridge closed for urgent repairs |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25895028 |access-date=4 May 2020 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=25 January 2014}}</ref> Further repairs and strengthening works were delayed in November 2016 in a wrangle over funding between [[Hammersmith and Fulham Council]] and [[Transport for London]] (TfL). LBHF leader Steven Cowan said: "There's no way that this council is going to spend anything like that money, the majority of this issue is the responsibility of TfL and we will work with them to make sure the bridge is fit for public purpose".<ref name="BBC-30Nov2016">{{cite news |title=Hammersmith Bridge repair works delayed amid funding gap |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38134617 |access-date=11 April 2019 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=30 November 2016}}</ref>

=== 2019–24 closure ===

With funding for a major refurbishment still not resolved, on 10 April 2019, Hammersmith and Fulham Council closed the bridge indefinitely to motor traffic on safety grounds. Pedestrians and cyclists were allowed to use the bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/transport-and-roads/roads-bridges-and-pavements/hammersmith-bridge-closed |title=Hammersmith Bridge Closed |date=10 April 2019 |access-date=10 April 2019 |publisher=[[London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]]}}</ref><ref name="Prior-11Apr2019">{{cite news |last1=Prior |first1=Grant |title=Critical faults force sudden closure of Hammersmith Bridge |url=http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2019/04/11/critical-faults-cause-sudden-closure-of-hammersmith-bridge/ |access-date=11 April 2019 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=11 April 2019}}</ref><ref name=lbhftimeline/> On 24 May 2019) the closure was due to cracks in the iron [[foundation (engineering)|pedestals]] which support the structure.<ref name="BBC-24May2019">{{cite news |title=Hammersmith Bridge closed because cracks in pedestals |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48395371 |access-date=25 May 2019 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=24 May 2019}}</ref> On 10 October 2019, ''Planning in London'' magazine published the results of its competition for a quick fix to Hammersmith Bridge's closure. The winning entry, by marine civil engineers Beckett Rankine, consisted of a prefabricated temporary road and foot bridge downstream of Hammersmith bridge and connecting in to Queen Caroline Street on the Hammersmith side. Beckett Rankine claimed that the bridge's cost could be recouped by charging a toll on vehicles.<ref name="PiL Oct-Dec 2019">{{cite news |title=A quick fix for Hammersmith Bridges |url=http://planninginlondon.com/assets/pil111%20assets/pil111%20PDF%20proof%20pages/HAMMERSMITH%20BRIDGE%20spreads%20pil111%20OCTOBER-DECEMBER%202019.pdf |access-date=11 Feb 2021}}</ref><ref name="Horgan-16)ct2019">{{cite magazine |last1=Horgan |first1=Rob |title=Hammersmith Bridge: Temporary bridge mooted to speed up repairs |url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/hammersmith-bridge-temporary-bridge-mooted-speed-repairs-16-10-2019/ |access-date=11 February 2021 |magazine=New Civil Engineer |date=16 October 2019}}</ref> On 13 August 2020, the structural issues worsened in a heatwave, and the bridge was closed even to cyclists and pedestrians.<ref name=lbhftimeline/> River traffic and pedestrian routes under the bridge were also stopped.<ref name=ESAug20/><ref name=BD>{{cite web |url=https://bdnews24.com/world/europe/2020/09/08/londons-bridges-really-are-falling-down |title=London's bridges really are falling down |date=8 September 2020 |publisher=BD News 24 |access-date=13 September 2020 }}</ref><ref name="Observer">{{cite web |title=London's bridges are falling down: how politics has failed the capital's crossings |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/14/london-bridges-are-falling-down-how-politics-has-failed-the-capitals-crossings |work=[[The Observer]] |last=Moore |first=Rowan |access-date=14 February 2021 |language=en |date=14 February 2021}}</ref> The costs were reported as £141 million to fully repair the bridge and £46 million to stabilise it for use by cyclists and pedestrians. Neither the council nor the transportation authority had this money available.<ref name=BD/>

On 9 September 2020, the [[Secretary of State for Transport]], [[Grant Shapps]] appointed a [[Department for Transport]] task force to investigate the bridge's condition, and work towards reopening the bridge for cyclists and pedestrians, and later the return of motor traffic.<ref name="Morby-10Sep2020">{{cite news |last=Morby |first=Aaron |title=Government task force to reopen Hammersmith Bridge |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2020/09/10/government-forms-task-force-to-reopen-hammersmith-bridge/ |access-date=10 September 2020 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=10 September 2020}}</ref><ref name=lbhftimeline/> In October 2020, it was announced that the bridge would not re-open to vehicles until at least 2027.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54733776 |title=Hammersmith Bridge 'will not reopen to traffic until 2027' |work=[[BBC News]] |date=29 October 2020 |access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref> In November 2020, engineers proposed a temporary double-decked steel structure within the existing bridge to allow damaged elements to be removed for repair. The scheme, designed by [[Foster and Partners]] with bridge engineers [[COWI A/S|COWI]], was backed by the local council and presented to Shapps.<ref name="Morby-30Nov2020">{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=Double-decker temporary fix for Hammersmith Bridge |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2020/11/30/double-decker-temporary-fix-for-hammersmith-bridge/ |access-date=30 November 2020 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=30 November 2020}}</ref> The scheme, costed at around £100 million, would allow the bridge to reopen for pedestrians and cyclists in the summer of 2021, with cars and vans able to cross two months later, and full restoration by 2023. The proposals were discussed on 19 March 2021 at a meeting of the government's Hammersmith Bridge taskforce, and plans for the work to be funded through a £3 toll scheme were accepted.<ref name="Marshall-22Mar2021">{{cite news |last1=Marshall |first1=Jordan |title=Fosters' plan for Hammersmith Bridge could slash £40m from repair bill |url=https://www.building.co.uk/news/fosters-plan-for-hammersmith-bridge-could-slash-40m-from-repair-bill/5111022.article |access-date=22 March 2021 |work=Building |date=22 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Double deck bridge is going ahead |url=https://www.hammersmithbridge.org.uk/n/n128/it-looks-like-the-double-decker-bridge-is-going-ahead |work=hammersmithbridge.org.uk via BBC tweet}}</ref> In December 2020, reports from [[AECOM]] and [[University of Cambridge]] professor [[Norman Fleck]] suggested that the full closure was overly cautious, and that the bridge could be reopened to cyclists and pedestrians with minimal work.<ref name="Horgan-10Dec2020">{{cite magazine |last=Horgan |first=Rob |title=Hammersmith Bridge could reopen after Aecom rules cracks 'may not be as serious as previously thought' |url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/hammersmith-bridge-could-reopen-after-aecom-rules-cracks-may-not-be-as-serious-as-previously-thought-10-12-2020/ |access-date=11 December 2020 |magazine=New Civil Engineer |date=10 December 2020}}</ref>

===2021: partial reopening===

On 1 June 2021, TfL, Hammersmith and Fulham Council and central government came to a cost-sharing agreement that would reopen the bridge in the near future.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Prynn |first1=Jonathan |last2=Lydall |first2=Ross |date=1 June 2021 |title=Hammersmith Bridge 'set to reopen' as Govt proposes cost-sharing deal |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/hammersmith-bridge-reopen-summer-2021-cost-sharing-deal-government-b938194.html |access-date=1 June 2021 |website=standard.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> The following month, council leader Stephen Cowan announced that the bridge would partially re-open to pedestrians and cyclists from 17 July 2021.<ref name="BBC-15Jul2021">{{cite news |title=Hammersmith Bridge to reopen to pedestrians and cyclists |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57848290 |access-date=1 June 2022 |work=BBC News |date=15 July 2021}}</ref> A £6 million, 46-week stabilisation plan designed by consultants [[Mott MacDonald]] was approved by the council in August 2021. This was to be the first phase of works. A second phase, involving extensive strengthening and full restoration, was to allow the bridge to reopen to motor vehicles.<ref name="TCI-17Aug2021">{{cite news |title=Mott's £6m plan approved for Hammersmith Bridge |url=https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/motts-6m-plan-approved-for-hammersmith-bridge |access-date=17 August 2021 |work=The Construction Index |date=17 August 2021}}</ref>

===2022: repairs===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="185px">
File:Hammersmith Bridge footings repair works.jpg|Repair works to the bridge footings
File:Hammersmith Bridge footing cooled in heatwave.jpg|Footing foil-wrapped and cooled in heatwave, with sensors
</gallery>

In February 2022, highways contractor [[FM Conway]] started work on a 10-month first phase of the restoration. The council approved the full £8.9 million cost, hoping that DfT and TfL would reimburse them for their one-third shares.<ref name="TCI-14Feb2022">{{cite news |title=Conway team to start Hammersmith Bridge stabilisation this month |url=https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/conway-team-to-start-hammersmith-bridge-stabilisation-this-month |access-date=14 February 2022 |work=The Construction Index |date=14 February 2022}}</ref> Completion of this work was delayed a year as steel became hard to procure due to the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref name="TCI-13Oct2022"/> In July 2022, the chains were wrapped in foil and cooled with air-conditioning to 13°C during a [[2022 United Kingdom heat wave|heatwave]] to prevent further cracking.<ref>{{cite news |last=Neary |first=Hannah |title=Protective Heat Cover for Hammersmith Bridge To Avoid Closure: Structure swaddled in foil due to extreme temperatures |url=http://www.chiswickw4.com/default.asp?section=community&link=http://neighbournet.com/server/common/ldrshambridge038.htm |access-date=14 July 2022 |work=Chiswick W4 |date=14 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Hammersmith Bridge wrapped in foil during heatwave |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-62162687 |access-date=15 July 2022 |publisher=BBC News |date=14 July 2022}}</ref> In October 2022, Hammersmith and Fulham Council agreed to lodge a planning application to temporarily double-deck the bridge to speed up its restoration.<ref name="TCI-13Oct2022">{{cite news |title=Hammersmith council backs double-deck bridge plan |url=https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/hammersmith-council-backs-double-deck-bridge-plan |access-date=20 October 2022 |work=The Construction Index |date=13 October 2022}}</ref> The council intended to appoint a private sector contractor to design, renovate, finance and maintain the bridge, with the council's construction and ongoing operation and maintenance costs funded by tolls.<ref name="TCI-13Oct2022"/>

=== 2024: partial reopening ===

In February 2024, Hammersmith & Fulham Council reopened the central vehicle lane to cyclists for 10 weeks from 13 February 2024, <ref name="LBHF2024-a581">{{cite web |title=Temporary cycle lanes across Hammersmith Bridge open |website=London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham |date=7 February 2024 |url=https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/news/2024/02/temporary-cycle-lanes-across-hammersmith-bridge-open |access-date=7 February 2024}}</ref> while construction was paused to allow the repair of a {{cvt|130|m|adj=on}} steel gantry damaged in a collision with a boat, MV ''Emerald of London'', in December 2023.<ref name="BBC News 2023 f076">{{cite web |title=Boat carrying football fans gets stuck under Hammersmith Bridge in London |website=BBC News |date=11 December 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-67680559 |access-date=7 February 2024}}</ref> The final stage of the stabilisation works was to be the replacement of the [[Bearing (mechanical)|bridge's bearings]] on the four corner pedestals, following which the council would "review e-mobility options to shuttle residents across the bridge, notably the elderly or disabled".<ref name="LBHF2024-a581"></ref> In January 2024, the cost of repairing the bridge had increased to £250&nbsp;million (US$316&nbsp;million).<ref name="BBC-18Jan2024">{{cite news |title=Hammersmith Bridge: Cost of repairs more than doubles |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68024233 |access-date=3 February 2024 |work=BBC News |date=18 January 2024}}</ref> A day later, London Mayor [[Sadiq Khan]] said that "I do want that bridge fit for purpose for vehicles" but neither Hammersmith & Fulham Council nor TfL had the money to make it so. TfL's 2024 Business Plan did not include funding for the bridge.<ref name="ES-19Jan2024">{{cite news |title=Sadiq Khan intervenes in Hammersmith bridge saga: 'I want it reopened for cars' |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/hammersmith-bridge-reopened-car-drivers-sadiq-khan-b1133494.html |access-date=3 February 2024 |work=Evening Standard |date=19 January 2024}}</ref>

=== 2025: roadway reopened to pedestrians and cyclists ===

After work on the hangers that link the bridge deck to its suspension chains, the roadway was resurfaced. Its deck is of plywood boards, bolted to timber supports; worn boards and some of the timbers were replaced, at a cost of £2.9 million. The bridge reopened to pedestrians and cyclists in April 2025, with the roadway divided into wide pedestrian and cycle lanes. Pedestrians can also use the two outer footways.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Pedestrian and Cycle Lanes Open on Hammersmith Bridge |url=https://www.chiswickw4.com/default.asp?section=community&link=https://neighbournet.com/server/common/hambridge038.htm |publisher=Chiswick W4 |access-date=21 April 2025 |date=18 April 2025}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="185px">
File:Hammersmith Bridge 2024 reopened as cycleway.jpg|February 2024: worn roadway reopened as cycleway
File:Hammersmith Bridge 2025 roadway opened to pedestrians and cyclists.jpg|April 2025: resurfaced roadway opened to pedestrians and cyclists
</gallery>