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Hammersmith Bridge's future uncertain amid funding row

Getty Images Hammersmith BridgeGetty Images
The bridge has proved a popular spot during the Oxford and Cambridge university boat race

The future of the Hammersmith Bridge remains uncertain as politicians cannot agree on who should foot the bill for repairs.

The 135-year-old bridge closed in August 2020 after cracks were found.

Hammersmith and Fulham (H&F) Council owns the bridge, but wants central government and Transport for London (TfL) to chip in for the work.

Council leader Stephen Cowan told BBC Radio London fixing the bridge was expected to cost a total of £141m.

The bridge reopened to walkers and cyclists in July.

Getty Images A detail of Hammersmith Bridge's damaged road surfaceGetty Images
Hammersmith Bridge's damaged road surface, pictured after safety checks, revealed "critical faults"

Mr Cowan told BBC Radio London's Eddie Nestor H&F council has already committed £8.7m to prevent the bridge falling into the river, but the authority does not have the money to agree to the government's suggestion the council pays a third of the repair costs.

He said: "I understand why people are frustrated. It has been an absolute horror that the bridge has been closed. It's Britain's most expensive bridge to fix. We can't afford it."

The council says its budget has dropped by about £60m since 2010.

Mr Cowan said, other than Covid, the issue of the bridge was causing most of his sleepless nights.

Getty Images View of the entrance to the suspension bridge at Hammersmith...', London, 1827.Getty Images
Work began on the previous Hammersmith Bridge in 1824. It opened on 6 October 1827 and was replaced later in the century

The long-term future of the bridge, and who should pay for repairs or replacement, has long been a controversial issue.

It has set the Conservative government against London's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan, who heads Transport for London (TfL), and Labour-controlled Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which owns the bridge.

The government insists it will pay no more than a third of the cost of fully repairing the structure.

The Department of Transport has said itself, TfL and Hammersmith and Fulham Council must each agree to cover "a share" of the bill.