Urgent repair work has begun today, Friday April 8 on Hammersmith Bridge and will last a fortnight.

There will be no change for motorists during the morning and evening rush hours. However there will be temporary traffic management on sections of the bridge in place between 10am and 3pm from Monday to Friday, with workmen directing traffic using stop and go boards during this time.

The bridge will be open as usual on the weekends and pedestrians will still be able to use the bridge walkways.

The work is to replace old surfacing steel deck panels that could become dangerous if they are not repaired. The council’s contractors, Colas Ltd, will also resurface parts of the carriageway.

Cabinet member for residents’ services, Cllr Greg Smith, says: " The work is essential and, unfortunately, cannot be avoided. The longer we leave this the worse the road will become and we want to avoid any potential problems.

" We are making sure that the works are completed as quickly as possible and that disruption is kept the absolute minimum.

 " Even though this vital work may cause some disruption in the short-term, we want to get H&F moving and these improvements will mean residents and road users can get around the borough better in the long-term. "

The work is expected to be completed by April 21, in time for the Easter bank holiday.

For further information on the works, contact highways project engineers Solomon Castillo on 020 8753 1502 or Anvar Alizadeh on 020 8753 3033.

April 8, 2011