A ferry service will be introduced to cross the River Thames during the on-going closure of London’s Hammersmith Bridge, the UK government has announced.
According to transport secretary Grant Shapps, the procurement of a ferry service is a condition of the recent Transport for London (TfL) bailout and the service is expected to be running in the new year.
As previously reported by CiTTi, Hammersmith Bridge closed in August due to an increased risk to public safety following a sudden deterioration in key parts of the suspension structure.
The government said a ferry service would allow pedestrians and cyclists to avoid the circular diversion across other bridges.
Shapps said: “For too long residents have suffered as those responsible have failed to deal with this issue. I’m pleased to say that, following our funding deal with TfL, alongside the excellent work of our Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce, this first step is becoming a reality.
“We must of course crack on with longer term solutions and that’s why I also insisted TfL allocate part of the bailout to examining how the bridge can be brought back into use. I look forward to seeing this work in the not too distant future.”
The announcement of the ferry service follows the establishment of a taskforce to bring together partners, including Hammersmith and Fulham Council and TfL, which aims to develop solutions to the bridge closure.
The minister in charge of chairing the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce, Baroness Vere, said: “I am pleased to oversee this important step. The taskforce quickly identified a ferry service as the most rapid solution available in the short-term and that’s why we made it part of the TfL deal.
“I look forward to working with the taskforce to progress this as well as establishing how the bridge can be brought back into use.”
