Traffic Surveys and Structural Costings Next Step for Hammersmith Bridge
Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick
Andy Slaughter MP
April 25, 2025
Those of you who took a walk along the river during this Easter holiday may have noticed that the central roadway on Hammersmith Bridge has been resurfaced and opened to pedestrians and cyclists.
These resurfacing works were done following a £2.9m grant from the Department for Transport. Over 1,000 deck and footway panels were replaced as part of the project. A further £4.7 million has been granted by DfT to support the bridge hangers that connect the footway to the suspension chains.
A trial will also be carried out to use e-cargo bikes to shuttle older and disabled residents as well as young children across the bridge.
Following the meeting of the revived Bridge Taskforce, which I attended with other local MPs, the Department for Transport is working on the issues around the full reopening of the bridge. No decision has yet been taken on funding the full restoration works pending updated traffic surveys and full structural costings.
This week in the House, I spoke about the full statutory inquiry that is to be held into the terrible attacks that took place in Nottingham 2023, when a man with serious mental health issues and a history of violent behaviour was discharged by mental health services and went on to kill three people.
I welcome the full public inquiry into this case. I think it is vital for the inquiry to take into consideration the many similar cases so that these tragic crimes can be avoided.
I gave a speech in the Commons about Sentencing Council guidelines, something I also spoke about at the beginning of the month.
Judicial independence is a vital check on the power of any government, and we're seeing in real-time in the US what happens when it becomes acceptable for politicians to make politically motivated attacks on judges and the judiciary.
On Wednesday, MPs were given a chance to debate the appalling state the country's NHS hospitals were left in by the previous government, and the work now being done to bring them back up to standard.
I spoke on the history of the funding for our local hospitals, and the decision taken by the previous Government to remove the hospitals run by Imperial from the New Hospital Programme.
My constituency neighbour, Ben Coleman, MP for Chelsea and Fulham, which includes Charing Cross Hospital, spoke about the financial decisions taken by the previous Tory and Tory/Lib Dem governments.
Charing Cross, Hammersmith and St Mary's Paddington have the highest maintenance backlog in the country and rebuilding them will be the biggest NHS project going forward.
But we're now in a far better position than we were only a few years ago. Money is being invested in our local hospitals. The ground and first floors of Charing Cross are being refurbished. Imperial trust is preparing for major rebuilds, especially at St Mary's.
Best wishes,
Andy
andy@andyslaughter.com
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