The Evening Standard reports today that Hammersmith Bridge is unlikely to reopen to vehicles. A report to Hammersmith & Fulham Council, to be considered on 7 July 2026, says fully restoring the 139-year-old bridge would cost the borough around £300 million, which is beyond its financial means. The report states that there is no financial option available that would allow its full restoration.

It had been hoped that the Department for Transport Structures Fund, offering councils £1 billion to spend on repairing and replacing infrastructure, would provide the funding needed to fully restore the bridge. The Council says the criteria for funding requires projects to be completed by March 31, 2030, making a full restoration impossible within the deadline.

Following discussions with the Department for Transport, the council is recommending a “phased repair” programme instead. This would prioritise the bridge’s most urgent structural repairs while keeping it open for pedestrians and cyclists, rather than restoring it to full vehicle traffic.

So the political games which have now continued since closure of the Bridge in April 2019 seem to have reached a conclusion. Putney Bridge will remain gridlocked. Access to Barnes and Mortlake requires a long detour via Chiswick. The quiet oasis of Castelnau will remain a haven for cyclists. Regional planning sinks into the Thames.