Refurbishment of Wandsworth Bridge to Begin Next Month

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Traffic delays in store in Fulham with lanes closed for next ten months

Lane closures on Wandsworth Bridge are set to cause traffic delays in nearby roads in Fulham throughout 2020.

The bridge is about to undergo a £6million, ten month long refurbishment, scheduled to start next month, and Wandsworth Council has confirmed that lanes on the bridge will be closed during the works.

With Hammersmith Bridge remaining closed to traffic, the works are causing concern for residents facing even more delays and diversions crossing the Thames.

In a bid to reassure fears of a full closure of the much-used river crossing – which the council says is used by around 40,000 vehicles a day – Wandsworth Council has confirmed the bridge will not close fully to traffic during the refurbishment period.

A council spokesperson said: "To ensure traffic is kept moving, at least two of the bridge’s four lanes will remain open at all times, allowing vehicles, buses and bikes to cross the river in both directions.

" The bridge will also remain open at all times to pedestrians."

The repairs will be structural and will include resurfacing, uplighting and corrosion protection, as well as a repainting of the steel structure which has been in place since World War II.

The steel cantilevered bridge linking Wandsworth and Fulham was opened in 1939 and designed by Sir Thomas Peirson Frank, who had it painted in dull shades of blue as camouflage against air raids, a colour scheme still seen today.

Although it’s one of the busiest Thames crossings it has been described architecturally as "probably the least noteworthy bridge in London".

As part of the refurbishment, the bridge will also be repainted to both improve its  appearance and protect the steel structure, although the council has yet to reveal if it will remain blue.

Victoriana-style architectural lights will also be added.

Funding for the project is coming from Wandsworth's community infrastructure levy which the council charges property developers in the borough to help pay for important fundamental projects.

A crossing between Wandsworth and Fulham has existed since the 19th century. According to the Port of London Authority, a wrought iron structure designed by Julian Tolmne was built on the site in 1873. "It was of the lattice girder type and had a wooden roadway. After 60 years or so this bridge proved unable to cope with increasing levels of traffic so a new bridge was commissioned in 1935."

January 17, 2020