By any reasonable standard, Hammersmith Bridge should be at the front of the queue for government funding. It’s a vital artery connecting west London, closed to vehicles since 2019, with a repair plan already on the table. So when a new £1 billion “Structures Fund” was announced this week, you might have expected clarity. Instead, we got a now-familiar mix of confusion, hedging, and political hand-waving.
It started with Treasury minister Emma Reynolds, sent out to sell the new fund — but who ended up undermining her own message in a car-crash media round. She couldn’t say how the money would be allocated, got basic facts wrong (referring to the Lower Thames Crossing as the “Dartmouth Tunnel”), and ducked every question about Hammersmith Bridge.
Then Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was pushed on the issue. With the ball at her feet, she swung and missed. Asked clearly if Hammersmith Bridge is part of the funding, she fudged. “It may be the case…” She spoke of criteria to be worked through, plans to be reviewed, delivery paths to be considered. All very cautious — but it boiled down to: still no commitment.
And right on cue, Putney MP Fleur Anderson chimes in with a familiar email blast. She’s meeting ministers. She’s raising the issue. She’s campaigning. It’s the same script we’ve heard for years — six years — just recycled, reframed, and still without a result.
Everyone’s Talking, No One’s Deciding
If there’s one person who holds the answer to Hammersmith Bridge’s future, it’s the Chancellor. Rachel Reeves controls the purse strings — but no one around her seems willing or able to say so out loud.
Instead of pressing her publicly, ministers and MPs are performing a delicate political dance. No one wants to challenge the Chancellor and risk falling out of favour. But equally, no one wants to be left behind if she does eventually release the funds — hence the vague interviews, the hedged responses, and the flurry of “campaigning” emails. If she does decide to support plans, her political acolytes want to be able to claim victory (and credit); if she doesn’t; they need a decent excuse.
It’s political cowardice at its worst: dodging accountability, avoiding leadership, and prioritising optics over outcomes. And it’s a far cry from how serious infrastructure policy should be made.
A £1bn Fund That’s Already Half Gone
Of the £1 billion fund, £590 million has already been earmarked for the Lower Thames Crossing. That leaves £410 million to be spread across thousands of bridges, tunnels and flyovers — over ten years. Hammersmith Bridge alone could swallow over half of that, with costs now expected to exceed £250 million.
Ministers know this. MPs know it. And yet no one is willing to say what the plan is. Because there isn’t one — just carefully worded non-answers and theatrical updates from junior ministers like Anderson, who seem more concerned with narrating the issue than resolving it.
The Bridge Everyone Forgot
Meanwhile, Londoners remain stuck and Putney residents have to deal with intolerable traffic. Hammersmith Bridge, once used by 22,000 vehicles and six key bus routes daily, remains closed to motor traffic. A £400,000 taxpayer-funded ferry never ran. A taskforce was formed, then faded. And even with the final business case submitted, we’re told a full reopening may not happen until 2035.
This is no longer just a transport issue. It’s a symbol of Britain’s broken ability to deliver public infrastructure — and a lesson in what happens when no one is willing to lead.
What Should Be Happening
The case for funding Hammersmith Bridge is obvious. It’s strategically important, technically ready, and economically essential. Ministers should be making the case loudly and unambiguously — not hiding behind process.
And MPs should stop clapping themselves on the back for meetings and memos. Constituents don’t want campaign updates. They want a timeline. They want action. They want leadership.
Until that arrives, all we’ll keep getting is more delays, more confusion — and more of the same.
This is a complete disgrace and is making Putney High Street and the immediate surrounds even more congested and polluted. Added to this is the complete hash the council has made to the recent works on the Putney Bridge Road and the new traffic lights at the bridge. There is now gridlock in Putney High Street, Putney Hill, Putney Bridge Road and the Lower & Upper Richmond Roads (adjacent to Putney High Street) at most times of the day. I’ve been a resident of Putney for around 25 years and ever since these new work are put in the traffic has been horrendous. This is causing rat runs all over the place with traffic unable to move for example in Fawe Park Road and Israeli Road during rush-hours. Surely something needs to be done – does anyone know what plans are in place, if any, to ease this?