Grant Shapps has demanded Sadiq Khan reopen Hammersmith Bridge this summer, after pledging millions of pounds in Government funding to help fix the cracked crossing.
In an open letter to London‘s Labour mayor, the Transport Secretary said he was growing ‘very concerned’ about the lengthy closure of the 134-year-old bridge.
The cast-iron structure has been shut to traffic since April 2019 – when engineers found cracks in its pedestals. It has been closed to pedestrians and cyclists since last summer.
There are fears that the complicated repairs to the structure could take up to six years to complete.
And a row has been brewing between the Government, Transport for London (TfL) and local council officials over who will foot the eventual repair bill – which could spiral to more than £100million.
In a bid to break the deadlock, Mr Shapps yesterday revealed the Government had offered to pay a third of the costs.
But he said the money came with the expectation that Mr Khan, and Labour-run Hammersmith and Fulham Council, reopen the bridge to pedestrians this summer.
He also called on TfL and council chiefs to ‘urgently’ reveal plans to get the bridge reopened to traffic in the near future.
In an open letter to the London Mayor, he said: ‘I have been very concerned to see Hammersmith Bridge – a major London conduit over the Thames – left closed for such a long time.
Grant Shapps has demanded Sadiq Khan reopen Hammersmith Bridge (pictured) this summer, as he last night pledged millions of pounds in funding to help fix the cracked crossing
Today Mr Shapps (pictured left) revealed the Government had offered to pay a third of the costs in a bid to break the deadlock the bill for the repairs. But he said the money came with the expectation that Mr Khan (pictured right), and Labour-run Hammersmith and Fulham Council, reopen the bridge to pedestrians this summer
‘The bridge belongs to the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the maintenance and upkeep falls entirely in their hands. This would normally be supported by TfL.
‘The Government has made a generous offer for the reopening Hammersmith Bridge and I expect that we will see the bridge open to pedestrians and cyclists this summer, subject to confirmation of engineer reports.’
The leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council, councillor Stephen Cowan (pictured) last night dismissed the Mr Shapps’ funding announcement as ‘party politics’
He added: ‘Whilst I am sure this will be a welcome step forward, the end goal must be for the bridge to be reopened to motorised traffic.
‘In the coming months I expect to see a robust plan from the Council for the initial stabilisation works as the first step to setting out how that will be achieved.’
Mr Shapps believes the bridge, which connects Hammersmith and Barnes, can be fixed for around £90million – less than the TfL and council estimates in excess of £140million.
Under his proposed funding deal, this would mean the Government, TfL and the council – who are ultimately responsible for the bridge’s upkeep – would each contribute £30million to the repairs.
But the leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council last night dismissed the Mr Shapps’ funding announcement as ‘party politics’.
In a statement to MailOnline, councillor Stephen Cowan said: ‘The announcement demonstrates the contempt this Government, and its absurdly named Taskforce, has for the people of south-west London.
‘It is simply more of the same party political game-playing that has characterised its approach throughout.
‘Hammersmith Bridge is one of the world’s oldest mechanical suspension bridges and one of the most expensive in Britain to repair.
Mr Shapps believes the bridge, which connects Hammersmith and Barnes, can be fixed for around £90million – less than the TfL and council estimates in excess of £140million
‘Yet the Government is seeking to impose an unprecedented 33 per cent of the cost on Hammersmith & Fulham.
‘That is tens of millions of pounds more than any other London council has ever paid for bridge repairs and comes on top of the record £8.6million we are already paying.’
He said the council had proposed alternative measures to get the bridge reopened, including a double-decker temporary bridge and a proposed toll charge to cover the cost of the repairs.
‘These proposals – all of which are ignored in today’s announcement – provide the best value for local and national taxpayers and deliver on the bridge reopening to all traffic, including pedestrians, cyclists public transport, and motor vehicles, supporting people on both sides of the river and beyond,’ councillor Cowan added.
MailOnline contacted TfL for a comment last night.
Earlier this year it was revealed how a £3 toll for motorists could be introduced on Hammersmith Bridge to help foot the costs of its long-running repair works.
The council drew up the ‘radical plans’ to make the bridge operational after almost two years out of action.
The council said ‘early assessments’ indicate motorists would pay an average of £3 to drive across the bridge.
It claimed its plan would help reduce restoration costs to ‘around £100 million’ and allow traffic to use it from the middle of 2022.
In the meantime the bridge would have a ‘double-decker’ structure, with an upper level carrying cars and buses, while pedestrians and cyclists would use the lower level, the council said.
This is a computer generated plan of a proposed temporary Hammersmith Bridge, alongside the original, which is not set to be back to normal until 2027 as it is repaired
Plans to reopen the bridge with a temporary ‘double-decker’ crossing were also unveiled last month. Council chiefs plan to install the two-layer structure above the current road level
The proposed double-decker crossing will not place a load on the current structure – allowing engineers to continue work on the bridge as planned
A technical study conducted jointly by architects Foster + Partners and specialist bridge engineers COWI found it is ‘feasible’ using the existing bridge foundations.
The full restoration would be completed in 2023, under the council’s own plan.
The council also suggested ownership of the Grade II listed bridge could be transferred to a charitable trust.
Meanwhile, it was announced in March that Uber will operate a replacement ferry service while repairs to Hammersmith Bridge continue.
The private hire firm has been handed the contract to take pedestrians and cyclists across the Thames at a proposed charge of £1.55.
TfL said Uber Boat by Thames Clipper hopes to run crossings from 6am to 10pm and transport 800 passengers per hour on its catamaran.
But the boat service won’t start until the end of summer, likely dismaying exasperated locals who have been without a nearby crossing for almost two years.
The cost of contracting Uber Boat by Thames Clipper is also being withheld and will not be published until after the local elections in London on May 6.
However it is believed the ferry service hinged on Government funding provided as part of the ongoing TfL bailout.
In February fed up residents illuminated Hammersmith Bridge in red in a Valentine’s Day in protest at the continual closure of the bridge.
Boat-enthusiasts also protested on the Thames. River traffic is currently unable to pass under the bridge due to safety concerns.
It lead the annual Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge to be held away from its traditional Thames home last year.