Hammersmith Bridge Closed Indefinitely

[Southcoastffc]

Hammersmith Bridge has been closed indefinitely after safety checks revealed "critical faults".

Hammersmith and Fulham Council said it was left with "no choice" but to shut the bridge to motorists, until refurbishment costs can be met.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47891838

[bobby01]

And meanwhile tfl bring in another rip off charge, millions in debt but still paying out big bonuses.   But never mind Sadiq will just say nobody told him.

To be able to shut down a major route across the river is ludicrous to say the least.

[john dempsey]

3rd rate country we are the Venezuela of Europe
if the lights are still working will the last person too leave turn them off

[ffcthereligion]

And meanwhile tfl bring in another rip off charge, millions in debt but still paying out big bonuses.   But never mind Sadiq will just say nobody told him.

To be able to shut down a major route across the river is ludicrous to say the least.

Sadiq son of a bus driver Khan

[H4usuallysitting]

I've had a quite marvelous day.......been chaos all day....roadworks everywhere....new gas works just about everywhere...with the new ulez everybody is going Marylebone road or via vauxhall

[Steven Ageroad]

And meanwhile tfl bring in another rip off charge, millions in debt but still paying out big bonuses.   But never mind Sadiq will just say nobody told him.

To be able to shut down a major route across the river is ludicrous to say the least.

They are closing it because there is a problem, that bridge has always been a problem because it's very old, or would you rather finish up in the Thames?

[filham]

Did anyone watch the boat race and see all of the spectators crowded on Hammersmith Bridge, makes you think we could have been close to a disaster.

[bobby01]

And meanwhile tfl bring in another rip off charge, millions in debt but still paying out big bonuses.   But never mind Sadiq will just say nobody told him.

To be able to shut down a major route across the river is ludicrous to say the least.

They are closing it because there is a problem, that bridge has always been a problem because it's very old, or would you rather finish up in the Thames?

Two things here.
It is not so long ago that the bridge was closed for repairs, I can't remember how long for but it was quite a while.
As I use this bridge often when delivering around London I can honestly say I had noticed no difference after the repairs

Secondly if they have a structural problem then of course it needs to close, (so no need for your glib remark).
The point I was making is they are saying they are not going to repair it as of course it's the governments fault and Hammersmith and Fulham, and tfl have no money.
As someone who is delivering across London every day I feel I am able to criticise tfl, they have a long line of bad management, and under this mayor have got away with murder.
Just my opinion with valid views, I need not write a long list of the failings currently occurring on London roads.

[H4usuallysitting]

And meanwhile tfl bring in another rip off charge, millions in debt but still paying out big bonuses.   But never mind Sadiq will just say nobody told him.

To be able to shut down a major route across the river is ludicrous to say the least.

They are closing it because there is a problem, that bridge has always been a problem because it's very old, or would you rather finish up in the Thames?

Two things here.
It is not so long ago that the bridge was closed for repairs, I can't remember how long for but it was quite a while.
As I use this bridge often when delivering around London I can honestly say I had noticed no difference after the repairs

Secondly if they have a structural problem then of course it needs to close, (so no need for your glib remark).
The point I was making is they are saying they are not going to repair it as of course it's the governments fault and Hammersmith and Fulham, and tfl have no money.
As someone who is delivering across London every day I feel I am able to criticise tfl, they have a long line of bad management, and under this mayor have got away with murder.
Just my opinion with valid views, I need not write a long list of the failings currently occurring on London roads.

Don't get me on about tfl

[Statto]

For Sadiq Khan and Labour-controlled councils like H&F it's a win-win situation.

If services are good, they get praised for doing a good job. If services are bad, they just have more ammunition against "Tory austerity" and can tell you to vote Labour.

It was the same with the water cannon. Worth £300k but sold for scrap for £10k. Anyone else in business or politics would have been slaughtered for such a bad deal. But for Khan it was ammunition against Johnson and the BBC, Guardian et al lapped it up.

[Logicalman]

I thought I read someplace that there was a restriction placed on the bridge by H&F inspectors inasmuch that not more than 1 bus could use the bridge at the same time, and in reading the statement they released at the time (Sept 2016), they clearly stated:

"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."


So, when they say 'former glory' is that a glory that lasted the previous 128 years, or the 30-odd months that it actually has (being generous in 30 months as it's really a lot less since the supposed repairs)?

Seems to me that either H&F
1. Failed to asses repairs correctly back in 2016/2017, or
2. Failed to carry out repairs that addressed the requirements of that assessment or
3. They are acting with another agenda and, as usual, the general public have to suffer for their incompetency in either or both the above.

[Mince n Tatties]

For Sadiq Khan and Labour-controlled councils like H&F it's a win-win situation.

If services are good, they get praised for doing a good job. If services are bad, they just have more ammunition against "Tory austerity" and can tell you to vote Labour.

It was the same with the water cannon. Worth £300k but sold for scrap for £10k. Anyone else in business or politics would have been slaughtered for such a bad deal. But for Khan it was ammunition against Johnson and the BBC, Guardian et al lapped it up.

Correct.

[toshes mate]

This is the text of H&F's official statement for the closure:

[Begins]
Hammersmith Bridge closed

We had to close Hammersmith Bridge urgently to motorists because of safety concerns having sought agreement to move forward with a programme of maintenance works since 2015.

The 132-year-old Hammersmith Bridge is part of TfL's strategic road network which they have responsibility for maintaining.

Unfortunately, up until 2015, TfL were sending 100 buses an hour over the bridge which is something it was never designed for and which was the most important contributing factor in causing this level of damage.

In 2015 we secured an agreement that there would never be more than one bus going either way at any one time. However, the bus companies consistently breached that agreement, ignoring our engineers' warnings that this would cause a critical structural failure.

Our frequent safety checks have now revealed critical faults. We are simply not prepared ever to put anyone at risk. We therefore had no choice but to shut the bridge.

The costs of repairing Hammersmith Bridge has risen to at least £40million. We are sympathetic to TfL's funding problems. TfL has suffered an £800million cut to its budget from central government and has had to pay for the refurbishment of Albert Bridge and Putney Bridge in recent years.

Meanwhile, over £43million was wasted on the failed Garden Bridge folly. It would have been much better to have invested that money into Hammersmith Bridge which would have avoided this problem and the inconvenience to thousands of Londoners.

We are working with the London Mayor and TfL to agree a way forward and call on government to provide the necessary funding to maintain this vital piece of London's infrastructure and this beautiful feature of Britain's engineering heritage.
[Ends]

There is a moral to this story but I fear it would not be capable of bridging the gap between many a pair of ears.  Even a child would question the actions of Central Government in failing to take appropriate action upon funding for the Bridge a very long, long, time ago in order to make its future sensible use secure.  Perhaps those who live in Castelnau like the quieter life....

[Holders]

For Sadiq Khan and Labour-controlled councils like H&F it's a win-win situation.

If services are good, they get praised for doing a good job. If services are bad, they just have more ammunition against "Tory austerity" and can tell you to vote Labour.

It was the same with the water cannon. Worth £300k but sold for scrap for £10k. Anyone else in business or politics would have been slaughtered for such a bad deal. But for Khan it was ammunition against Johnson and the BBC, Guardian et al lapped it up.

Correct.

Johnson was told by the Home Sec. (Mrs May, if I remember correctly) that he couldn't use them. Stupid purchase in those circumstances.

[Statto]

Even a child would question the actions of Central Government in failing to take appropriate action upon funding for the Bridge a very long, long, time ago in order to make its future sensible use secure. 

But it's not central government's responsibility to fund the bridge maintenance, it's TfL's, from their multi-billion pound budget.

I'm sure TfL will in turn blame the termination of their grant from central gov't but that's TfL's case to make, not H&F council. So I'm not sure why it's in H&F council's statement... except of course to politicise the whole thing because they are a labour-led council.

Naturally the garden bridge also gets a mention. That was never my cup of tea but at least if it was built, people could have judged it for themselves and seen whether it generated decent revenues as a tourist attraction. But of course it was easier for Sadiq Khan to cancel it then he could just say all money spent on the planning etc. was "wasted" because it never got built. Again, absolutely no relevance to the Hammersmith Bridge but Khan and Labour spin it as a totem of Tory hypocrisy and will of course mention it wherever they can.

[Statto]

For Sadiq Khan and Labour-controlled councils like H&F it's a win-win situation.

If services are good, they get praised for doing a good job. If services are bad, they just have more ammunition against "Tory austerity" and can tell you to vote Labour.

It was the same with the water cannon. Worth £300k but sold for scrap for £10k. Anyone else in business or politics would have been slaughtered for such a bad deal. But for Khan it was ammunition against Johnson and the BBC, Guardian et al lapped it up.

Correct.

Johnson was told by the Home Sec. (Mrs May, if I remember correctly) that he couldn't use them. Stupid purchase in those circumstances.

Indeed. But if I bought a used car for £20k then realised I couldn't fit it in the garage, I wouldn't expect to lose £20k. I'd sell it to someone else and get my £20k back, and just suffer some inconvenience. I'm willing to concede the water cannons probably weren't worth £300k (most of which I understand had been spent on upgrades, rather than their initial acquisition) but the point is for Khan, the less he sold them for, the better, because it allowed him to score more political capital.   

[BigbadBillyMcKinley]

150 directors of TfL are on over £150000 a year plus bonuses. Do they need that many? I'm not so sure....

[grandad]

Is the sign on the bridge that soldiers must break step when marching on the bridge still there.

[ex-Pat]

Can't blame the Mayor, It's all the Mugs who voted for the Clown.

[HV71]

Is the sign on the bridge that soldiers must break step when marching on the bridge still there.

More likely to break wind today - through fear !