Hammersmith Bridge reopens for cyclists after £2.9m refurb, but no decision made on when drivers will be allowed back

22 April 2025, 15:37

The Hammersmith Bridge in west London has reopened for cyclists and pedestrians after a £2.9m refurb, as no decision has been made on whether drivers will be allowed to use it.

The 138-year-old Grade II-listed suspension bridge, one of the last surviving bridges of its kind, has been closed to car traffic for six years, as works have been ongoing.

The bridge, linking Hammersmith to Barnes, was closed after engineers discovered cracks in the pedestals of the bridge in 2019, deeming it unsafe for use.

Since then, the bridge’s future has been the subject of fierce debate, with proposals ranging from introducing a toll to fund repairs to the bridge, or altogether blowing it up to build a new bridge, which was swiftly rejected.

Another proposal for the bridge was for it to be turned into an inaccessible monument, which was also rejected.

While the long-term future of the bridge has not been decided yet, it has now finally reopened for cyclists and pedestrians.

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The refurbished bridge now has all-new decking, and three separate lanes: one for cyclists going north, one for cyclists going south, and a dedicated two-way pedestrian path.

The outer footways will also be available for pedestrians to use.

The council said the new, wider pedestrian lane will increase accessibility, making it easier for people using wheelchairs to use the bridge.

It added that e-cargo bikes, which fit between newly-built anti-terror barges, are also being trialled on the bridge to shuttle older and Disabled residents as well as young children.

However, there is still no word on when the bridge will reopen for drivers – if it ever does, as the option of banning car traffic from the bridge is not off the table.

The decking was funded by a £2.9m grant from the Department for Transport (DfT).

Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which owns the bridge, has also received £4.7m from the DfT for works to support the bridge hangers.

However, the total estimated cost of repairing and upgrading the damaged infrastructure to a level suitable for cars has skyrocketed to £250m.

This is more than double what initial estimates suggested.

So far, the repair costs are being shared by Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Transport for London (TfL) and the Department for Transport (DfT).