Hammersmith Bridge: West Ham fan boat crash caused £100k of damage

A boat carrying West Ham fans which crashed into Hammersmith Bridge caused £100,000 of damage, it has been revealed.

The MV Emerald of London crashed into the Grade-II listed bridge in December while ferrying fans to Fulham's stadium for a Premier League match.

Video footage showed it wedged beneath the Victorian crossing before turning back.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council said the gantry was severed in the crash.

The council, which revealed the cost of the damage, has explained that stabilisation works on the bridge have had to be paused while the damage is repaired.

It has already spend millions of pounds on the west London crossing since microfractures were discovered in its pedestals in 2019.

Hammersmith Bridge has been shut to motor vehicles ever since, and was only partially reopened to pedestrians and cyclists in 2021.

A temporary cycle lane will be installed on the crossing on Tuesday, while repairs are made to the gantry.

The local authority said it would look to recover costs from the company that owns the boat.

The full reopening of Hammersmith Bridge, estimated to cost £250m, is being held up by a stalemate over funding of the works between the council, Transport for London and the government.

London Party Boats, the owner of the MV Emerald of London, was approached for comment by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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