Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce meeting, 25 November 2021

Published: 29 November 2021
By Chris Haycock

The latest meeting of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce was held on 25 November 2021. Issues discussed included the future of the proposed ferry service, the report into the strengthening works from Dr Steve Denton and the ongoing work on the business case.

The meeting was chaired by Transport Minister Baroness Vere. Attendees included Project Director Dana Skelley and representatives from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF), the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames (LBRuT), the Greater London Authority (GLA), Transport for London (TfL), Department for Transport (DfT) and the Port of London Authority (PLA).

At the last Taskforce on 6 September, members concluded that there was insufficient evidence upon which to make an informed decision about the future of the ferry. Since then, members have completed further work on the remaining options and reached a position where a well-evidenced decision could be made.

In light of the available evidence, the decision has been taken to cease work on the ferry at this time. It is not currently anticipated that the bridge will need to be closed often enough or for long enough for the ferry to remain a viable solution.

The Taskforce remains committed to working together to deliver the repairs required to allow the bridge to reopen to all users as soon as feasibly possible.

Dana Skelley, speaking on behalf of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce, said:

At yesterday’s meeting, the Taskforce was joined by Dr Steve Denton to discuss the report, which was commissioned by LBHF to assess the options for strengthening Hammersmith Bridge.

The strengthening works will enable the bridge to reopen to all users including motorists and the report indicates that the 2 engineering solutions under consideration by LBHF are viable solutions. Both seek to undertake the same physical engineering work, but the proposed method of delivery is different and therefore each has different advantages and disadvantages.