Kensington and Chelsea Council has issued a traffic order allowing Albert Bridge to remain closed to vehicles for up to a year. Southwest London residents are now navigating the loss of two Victorian Thames crossings at the same time, with Putney Bridge among the bridges absorbing the additional pressure.
The order, issued on 18 February, sets out a worst-case timeline for repairs to the 152-year-old bridge, which has been closed to motor vehicles since 9 February after a routine inspection found a cracked cast iron component at one of the abutments. RBKC says the closure is precautionary, and the council has stressed it hopes to reopen sooner, particularly if a temporary fix proves possible.
But engineers are still assessing the structure. Exploratory work was due to complete on Friday, with a fuller repair timetable promised within the following fortnight. That update is still to come.
Albert Bridge carried 20,000 vehicles a day before the closure. Hammersmith Bridge, four miles upriver, has been closed to motor traffic since April 2019, nearly seven years.
“I certainly don’t want this to be another Hammersmith Bridge”
Johnny Thalassites, RBKC’s lead member for planning and environment, made clear the council is aware of what is at stake. “I certainly don’t want this to be another Hammersmith Bridge,” he told ITV News London when the closure was announced.
When initial investigations found no further visible damage beyond the original crack, Thalassites updated residents: “The early advice we have had following initial investigations suggests that we may be able to complete a permanent fix within a year. In the meantime, the investigative work continues. We are working with experts to find out if there are options to employ a temporary fix.”
Sensors have been fitted to monitor the crack. Engineers from FM Conway and Arcadis are carrying out the assessment.
Wandsworth Council issued a formal response on 13 February. Cabinet member for transport Cllr Jenny Yates said: “We know how frustrating and disruptive this sudden closure of Albert Bridge is for residents and businesses.” The council has arranged diversion signage south of the river and has requested that Transport for London review signal timings on Battersea Bridge Road.
The council’s own statement acknowledged what this closure adds to an already stretched network: Wandsworth said it recognised how heavily residents rely on Albert Bridge “particularly at a time when travel is already strained by the long-term closure of Hammersmith Bridge.”
The same failure, twice
The connection between the two closures is more than coincidental. New Civil Engineer reported in February that Hammersmith Bridge “has remained closed to road traffic since 2019 due to severe defects in the structure, including cracking in the cast iron plinths, similar to the reported issue at the Albert Bridge.”
Both bridges are Victorian-era cast iron structures. Albert Bridge, which opened in 1873 and is Grade II* listed, has never been replaced (one of only two Thames crossings that can make that claim, along with Tower Bridge). A weight restriction has applied since 1884. Hammersmith Bridge, closed after micro-fractures appeared in its cast iron pedestals, has cost Hammersmith and Fulham Council almost £48 million in stabilisation work since 2020. Its £250 million repair business case has sat unapproved for more than two years, with no government funding committed.
The bridge next in line
Putney Bridge is the crossing Wandsworth Council owns and maintains. The current structure was built in 1886 and carried 37,313 vehicles a day as of 2024.
Albert Bridge carried 20,000 vehicles a day. Those journeys are now diverted via Chelsea Bridge and Battersea Bridge, per RBKC’s guidance. Wandsworth Bridge is further east. For Putney and Roehampton residents, Putney Bridge is the closest alternative to both closed crossings, and it is handling that additional load at a time when it is also dealing with the effects of the Putney Bridge junction changes that have congested the area since 2024.
Wandsworth Council has published no condition grade, inspection schedule, or maintenance budget for Putney Bridge. Putney.news will submit a Freedom of Information request asking what Wandsworth knows about the bridge’s current structural condition, and whether the council has conducted any additional assessment.
What you can do
Residents affected by the Albert Bridge closure can find Wandsworth Council’s diversion guidance at wandsworth.gov.uk.
For updates on Albert Bridge’s repair timeline, RBKC is publishing updates at rbkc.gov.uk.
