The traffic congestion nightmare that is Hammersmith Bridge entered a new stage this morning when pedestrians were forced to wait 30 minutes to cross it due to bridge works.
While Putney residents sit in their all-too-familiar car traffic jams leading to Putney Bridge, those who decide to walk or cycle across Hammersmith Bridge now face the same fate.
According to Hammersmith & Fulham council, one of the two footpaths on either side of the bridge has been closed thanks to a gas leak, resulting in a human tailback as people tried to get to work north of the river.
“Due to a leak in a Cadent Gas pipe running below Hammersmith Bridge, we have been forced to close one footway,” the council said in a statement. “At peak times there may be a delay in crossing on the other footway. We apologise for the inconvenience. Cadent Gas workers are on site working to repair the problem.”
It’s not known when the gas pipe repair will be finished – a familiar story when it comes to Hammersmith Bridge – but presumably it will be earlier than 2035, which is the date that Putney MP Fleur Anderson gave earlier this year as an estimate for when the bridge would reopen to road traffic.
The bridge itself itself is currently being redecked after which it will open again for bicycles and pedestrians – but not road traffic. Meanwhile, politicians continue to argue over who should pick up the bill for renovations – currently estimated at £250m – while around £45m has been spent preventing the bridge from falling apart since it closed nearly six years ago.
Last week, representatives of the Labour Party held a meeting in Putney in which they announced a “task force” to look again at the bridge plans and pledged their commitment to keeping it open – something one local swiftly dubbed “more of the same – politicians saying a lot and doing nothing.”
And there’s more bad news: residents of Thamesfield – closest to Putney Bridge – received a letter this morning informing them of yet more roadworks later this month, which will make traffic problems even more acute going into March.
Perhaps it’s time to bring back the Putney ferry.
