Radical plans to reopen Hammersmith Bridge by creating a ‘double-decker’ crossing have today been unveiled.
Council chiefs plan to install the temporary two-layer structure above the current road level of the bridge.
Pedestrians will be able to cross the River Thames using the bottom layer, while road traffic will use the second level, say council chiefs.
The 133-year-old suspension bridge has been closed to traffic since April 2019 and pedestrians following the discovery of cracks in the structure.
The new double-decker crossing will not place a load on the current structure – allowing engineers to continue repair work on the bridge as planned.
The bridge’s closure has caused wide-spread traffic chaos across south-west London and caused major disruption for young students who previously used the bridge to get to and from school.

Radical plans to reopen Hammersmith Bridge by creating a temporary ‘double-decker’ crossing have today been unveiled. Council chiefs plan to install the two-layer structure above the current road level of the bridge.

The new double-decker crossing will not place a load on the current structure – allowing engineers to continue work on the bridge as planned

The double-decker structure will allow the existing road approaches to continue to be used, and is designed to add no load to the current bridge deck – which will be removed in stages for repair

The 133-year-old suspension bridge has been closed to traffic since April 2019 and pedestrians following the discovery of cracks in the structure
And there were fears that repairs would not be completed to the bridge for up to six years, causing outrage among those who use it most.
But Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s leader Stephen Cowan enlisted the help of local property tycoon Sir John Ritblat to come up with a solution to the closure.
Sir John is said to have approached London-based architects Foster and Partners to develop an alternative plan for the bridge.
The plans, drawn up by Foster and Partners along with bridge specialists COWI, involves installing the two-layer structure to allow pedestrians and vehicles to cross.
The double-decker structure will allow the existing road approaches to continue to be used, and is designed to add no load to the current bridge deck – which will be removed in stages for repair.
Elements of the Grade II* listed bridge that need repair, including pedestals, anchors and chains, would be lifted away using the temporary bridge and transported by barges to an off-site facility for safe repair and restoration.
The concept plan will be presented to Department of Transport officials today.
Initial estimates suggest the temporary crossing would allow the strengthening and stabilisation works to the bridge to be completed at a cost lower than the current £141million estimate, council chiefs say.
Bosses say the cost will be brought down because the bridge can be repaired off site, meaning it can be done at greater speed and at a significantly reduced cost.
Historic England approval would need to be sought for this scheme, say civic chiefs.


But Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s leader Stephen Cowan (pictured left) enlisted the help of local property tycoon Sir John Ritblat (pictured right) to come up with a solution to the bridge closure

Elements of the Grade II* listed bridge that need repair, including pedestals, anchors and chains, would be lifted away using the temporary bridge and transported by barges to an off-site facility for safe repair and restoration
Cllr Cowan said: ‘I am extremely grateful to Sir John Ritblat for responding to our call for help so comprehensively.
‘The Foster and Partners and the COWI design team have developed an exciting and imaginative initiative which has the very strong possibility of providing a quicker and better value solution than any of the other proposals.
‘I am optimistic that we now have a viable option within our grasp that is a win for all.’
Luke Fox, Senior Executive Partner at Foster and Partners, said: ‘We are excited to propose this simple and sustainable solution to this important missing piece of London’s infrastructure that also gives the opportunity to bring back to life a beautiful and iconic bridge by Sir Joseph Bazalgette.’
Roger Ridsdill Smith, head of Structural Engineering at Foster and Partners, said: ‘We believe that our concept resolves the two challenges for Hammersmith Bridge economically and efficiently: delivering a temporary crossing quickly, whilst providing a safe support to access and refurbish the existing bridge.’
David MacKenzie, Executive Director at COWI, added that the approach was ‘practical and viable.’
Reports last month suggested the bridge could cost £141million to fix and would be closed for six years – even though it took the Victorians only half that time to build.
Last month, the project’s director, Dana Skelley, predicted that it will take four months to work out the state of the structure’s pedestals, seven months to carry out emergency stabilisation work at a cost of £13.9million and 21 months to undertake £32million worth of permanent stabilisation work.

Pictured: Barriers close off the road as work is underway to repair the 133 year old Hammersmith Bridge over the River Thames in west London on November 11
The final stage of reparation is expected to take 30 months and involve strengthening the bridge to allow back vehicles, at an estimate of £80million.
But Hammersmith and Fulham councillor Sue Fennimore said funding applications sent to Transport for London (TfL), the Department for Transport and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for Hammersmith Bridge were all refused or did not receive a reply.
Baroness Vere told the task force: ‘The impact on south west London is not something that the Government would want to be responsible for. We all have to have a commitment to see this project through to the end.
‘At this moment in time and I think you’ll agree, given the timeline of six and a half years, there are various options that should still be on the table while we establish what the long-term project looks like.’