Hammersmith Bridge: Drivers could be charged for crossings

Drivers could be charge a £3 toll to cross Hammersmith Bridge in order to help pay for its repairs.

The bridge was closed last year after visible cracks appeared in the 134-year-old structure.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council have suggested motor vehicle users could pay to use a temporary double-decker bridge which could be utilised while the original is being repaired.

The short-term solution could be in place as soon as next summer.

Bridge engineers and architects have concluded the temporary structure can fit into the current bridge, following a feasibility report.

Cars and other vehicles could use the upper deck, with pedestrians and cyclists crossing below, while the repairs are carried out, in the hope the bridge could reopen 2023.

To help fund repairs drivers would pay £3 per crossing, which would be charged using number plate recognition software.

Council leader Stephen Cowan said: “Hammersmith Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the world and the most expensive in Britain to repair.

“So, while we’re working to fully restore the bridge as quickly as possible, we’re also determined to put in place the necessary governance and long-term funding arrangements that will make sure it is properly maintained well into the next century.”

The plans will be discussed at a Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce meeting next week.