Hopes that a Government fund would support the full reopening of Hammersmith Bridge have been dashed due to a requirement that the repairs be completed by April 2030.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which owns the Grade II* listed bridge, had looked to secure backing from the Government’s £1 billion Structures Fund, with a Minister previously saying the crossing would be a “good candidate,” says MyLondon. However, the local authority has revealed the Department for Transport (DfT) instead recommended it submit a bid for a “phased repair”, with the aim of keeping the bridge open for pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic.

“The DfT has confirmed its preference for this phased repair bid to the Structures Fund,” the report reads. “There is no financial option available that would allow its full restoration.”

Built in 1887 Hammersmith Bridge is one of the world’s oldest suspension bridges, connecting the West London borough with Barnes south of the river. It was shut in 2019 after micro-fractures were discovered in its pedestals.

Since then the crossing has been reopened to pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic, with the council spending more than £50 million maintaining and keeping it safe.

The funding for the repairs has however proven a major sticking point. Under a 2021 settlement the previous Government struck with TfL it was stated Hammersmith and Fulham Council would pay a third of the total cost.

Transport for London and the DfT are to pick up another third each, though the ballooning price tag of full restoration, estimated at £300 million, has delayed progress on further works.

The Government’s Structures Fund, which was launched to support the repairs of infrastructure such as roads and bridges, was seen as a potential way in which additional finances could be secured.

(Picture: London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham)