I’m writing to share an update on Hammersmith Bridge. 

Structures Fund 

In the Spending Review, the Government announced a new £1 billion national Structures Fund, and the Transport Secretary has confirmed that this fund could be used to help reopen Hammersmith Bridge. I will be meeting with the Minister to continue making the urgent case for the bridge and to learn more about how the fund will be allocated. 

The Spending Review also included a multi-year settlement for Transport for London (TfL), enabling investment in major projects. However, this funding has not been specifically earmarked for Hammersmith Bridge and may be used for several other large-scale schemes. 

This bridge is a vital London — and national — transport route, and it should have been restored and reopened years ago. 

The Campaign 

Since its closure to all traffic in April 2019, I have campaigned continuously for action. Before it closed, 22,000 vehicles and six major bus routes used the bridge daily. The closure has had a major impact on Putney and Roehampton, reducing our resilience when other road disruptions occur and severely affecting bus routes in the area. 

I have held meetings, sent in two mass petitions, held debates in Parliament and met ministers, TfL and Hammersmith and Fulham Council. 

Bus Crisis 

The current congestion on Putney High Street has become so acute that I now hold monthly bus crisis meetings with the Council, TfL, bus operators, and utility companies. We’re working through all the possible changes to ease delays — including issues such as the junction at Putney Bridge (where the traffic lights are still being calibrated) and bus driver changeovers that block the road and can’t be bypassed. 

The previous Government failed to act when the bridge first closed, and as a result, costs have soared. Hammersmith and Fulham Council has already spent over £48 million on highly specialist repairs to the fissures in the bridge’s plinths, and the bridge is now open to pedestrians and cyclists. But a full restoration is still urgently needed. The estimated cost for this is £240 million. 

There is an agreement that the costs will be split equally between the Councils, TfL, and the Government. 

No Action is Not an Option 

Since the General Election, I’ve continued to push for a new task force, and this resulted in a Hammersmith Bridge Task Force meeting in January, chaired by the Minister for Local Transport and attended by TfL, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, and Richmond Councils, Port of London Authority, English Heritage, local councillors, myself and other local MPs. I spoke at this meeting, where it was agreed that urgent action must be taken. New costings and funding options were considered, and this work fed into the Spending Review. 

There were several options discussed at the meeting: an alternative bridge at the side, another location for the bridge, and replacing the bridge are all too expensive. A restored bridge is being costed and is an option. Doing nothing and leaving it to deteriorate is not an option. 

I am currently working with Ministers, the Deputy Mayor and other stakeholders to arrange the next Taskforce meeting and I will be in touch with updates as soon as this has taken place. 

I will keep campaigning and raising this issue at every opportunity.  

Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign — by attending meetings, signing petitions, and writing letters. Your efforts are making a difference.