Hammersmith Bridge will NEVER re-open to cars, council says - after spending £3million turning ailing structure into eco-friendly cycle path

By OLIVIA DAY, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA Published: 12:15, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 12:19, 30 June 2026 Dreams of cars returning to London's embattled Hammersmith Bridge are fading fast after the council admitted it cannot afford the £300million needed to restore the crossing for vehicles after spending £3million on a cycle route. The 139-year-old Grade II-listed bridge has been closed to cars since April 2019 after engineers discovered the wrought-iron structure was riddled with cracks. The structure's main carriageway was reopened to cyclists over the 2025 Easter weekend after works on a refurbished cycle lane were completed.  The project, funded by a £2.9 million Department for Transport (DfT) grant, also saw decking installed across the bridge's main carriageway for e-bikes and e-scooters. The modest upgrades focused on improving accessibility for 'active travel' while long-term repair plans were considered by stakeholders.  In a report published ahead of a Cabinet meeting in late June, Hammersmith and Fulham Council (LBHF) announced the £300million cost of returning cars to the bridge was 'unaffordable' and that there was 'no financial option available'.  The council said its only viable funding option is through the Government's new £1billion Structures Fund for ageing bridges, flyovers and tunnels. LBHF said it plans to submit a bid for a £128million phased repair programme focused on keeping the bridge open for pedestrians and cyclists. The 139-year-old Grade II-listed bridge (pictured) has been closed to cars since April 2019 The structure's main carriageway was reopened to cyclists over the 2025 Easter weekend after works on a refurbished cycle lane were completed But even if this is successful, Hammersmith Bridge is likely to remain pedestrian and cycle-focused for the foreseeable future.  'LBHF cannot fund further bridge works,' the council report states.  'The only funding available from the Government is via a Structures Fund which could provide a phased repair approach focused on the most critical life-expired elements of the structure, with the immediate aim of keeping the bridge open and safeguarding access for pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic.' LBHF noted that the Department for Transport (DfT) has indicated Hammersmith Bridge would be a strong candidate for the grant.  However, eligible programmes must be completed by March 31 2030, with full restoration works unable to be delivered in that timeframe.  The report also outlined total expenditure on the bridge since 2019.  A plan to split the cost three ways between LBHF, DfT, and TfL was imposed through the Government's TfL funding settlement in 2021.  But five years later, the council claims it has spent far more than its fair share.   Hammersmith Bridge (pictured with cars) is currently classified as a 'substandard structure' Hammersmith Bridge is likely to remain pedestrian and cycle-focused for the foreseeable future (pictured, cyclists cross the bridge in April 2025) LBHF says it has spent £54million since 2019; £37million on stabilisation, monitoring and safe operation and £17million on preparatory work for full restoration. The report states: 'The Council's position - in line with this one-thirds principle - is that it is still owed money due from TfL, primarily, and DfT towards the £54million that has been spent on the restoration project.  'To date, the Council has received contributions of £15.96million from the DfT and TfL, excluding sums spent by TfL before the stabilisation works commenced.  'Based on the current forecast, the Council is therefore due a further £22.9million  from the DfT and TfL... The Council is requesting that these previously agreed contributions be paid in full.' Even if no major restoration project proceeds, the council said it will still face substantial costs to keep the bridge safe, monitored and open to the public. Hammersmith Bridge is no longer considered at immediate risk of collapse but is currently classified as a 'substandard structure'.  The council estimates it will need £1.5million from 2026/27 for safety inspections, structural monitoring, maintenance and operation of a substandard structure.  It warns several of the bridge's major structural components are beyond their design life, and that the bridge risks closure without substantial investment.   But even as questions remain over the bridge's long-term future, the council hailed the use of its £3million cycle path as a 'source of great pride locally'. The council has hailed the use of its £3million cycle path as a 'source of great pride locally' 'The bridge remaining open to pedestrians/cyclists will continue to promote the confidence of residents and businesses that are based in H&F and neighbouring boroughs, as well as supporting future economic growth,' the report said.  However, some Londoners were not convinced, warning the car-less bridge will increase congestion and pressure on surrounding routes.  'Great. Now the traffic can keep piling down the other nearby roads forever, with no way to cross between Putney and Chiswick. Perfect. Well done everyone. What a victory for the city,' one person wrote on X.  'Soon you will get toll bridges and traffic gridlocked as more routes close. All service costs will increase as traffic will restrict deliveries, and service engineers completing more than two jobs,' a second agreed.  A third wrote: 'So the gilded folk of Barnes get the world's biggest cul-de-sac and the poor f****** of Sheen and Kew get appalling traffic and extra pollution. All to protect a crumbling relic that should be torn down and replaced.' However, others welcomed the departure from plans to reopen the bridge to cars.  'Fewer car journeys will happen as a result of this and more people will opt to walk and cycle. It's a well studied phenomenon called traffic evaporation,' one said.  'Whatever you support, pedestrians or cars, it's pretty pathetic of us as a country not to be able to maintain such infrastructure,' a second person wrote.  A third commented: 'Hopefully Albert Bridge will be next! Special thank you to all the SUVs who made this happen.' 'Wow. Fantastic. Now do all the other bridges. Chase these polluting f****** out of our city,' a fourth person agreed.  Hammersmith Bridge, which survived three IRA attacks, is one of the world's oldest suspension bridges.  Designed by the noted 19th-century civil engineer, Sir Joseph Bazalgette, it was built in 1887 and opened by the then Prince of Wales. It is London's lowest bridge, with a water clearance of just 12 feet at high tide, and one of the capital's weakest, with weight restrictions in place since 2015. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.