Much to the frustration of some of its neighbours Hammersmith Bridge has now been shut to motorists for 5 years. The current incarnation of the bridge opened 137 years ago in 1887, but was shut to cars, motorbikes and buses on 10th April 2019 after cracks were discovered.The bridge has proven to be a costly headache for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham who own the structure - as well as Transport for London and the Department for Transport who financially contribute.
Greg Hands, the Minister for London, told LBC that he found the situation “immensely frustrating”, accusing the council of having “sat on it for 5 years”.Responding to LBC’s figures Mr Hands, who is the MP for Chelsea and Fulham, labelled the costs as “ridiculous”. He argued that Hammersmith and Fulham council should be stripped of control of the structure and the power transferred to TfL who the MP argues “have a much stronger interest in reopening the bridge”.