Minister Says Hammersmith Bridge 'Good Candidate' for Investment

LBC quotes letter stating project could benefit from Structures Fund

Hammersmith Bridge

February 28, 2026

Campaigners for the full reopening of Hammersmith Bridge might have reason for renewed hope after details of a letter emerged suggesting that Department of Transport funding may be finally forthcoming.

Seven years after the Grade II*-listed crossing was first closed to cars, LBC ration is reporting that it has seen a letter from transport minister Simon Lightwood suggesting that the project to restore the bridge may be in line for funding from the government’s Structures Fund and confirming a date for the next meeting of the Hammersmith Bridge Task Force a letter obtained by LBC, which has been at the forefront of reporting on the bridge’s protracted saga.

The national Structures Fund — a pot of money announced in June 2025 to support repairs to “run-down bridges, decaying flyovers and worn-out tunnels across Britain” has been seen as a potential source of investment since its inception. Initially, Heidi Alexander, the Secretary of State for Transport, had stated that the bridge ‘could’ qualify for funding but she decline to be more definitive when later questioned.

In the letter, Mr Lightwood wrote that the bridge “would be a good candidate for investment from the fund” and confirmed that officials intend to assess whether the next phase of works could be financed through this route. He also revealed that the government has launched a survey of local authorities and stakeholders to shape how the fund will operate.

The letter, the recipient of which LBC does not reveal, stresses that any award would depend on identifying a “cost-effective engineering solution within a reasonable timescale” and one that fits within the fund’s financial constraints.

Hammersmith and Chiswick MP Andy Slaughter said, "This is a positive step as, until this point, no funding stream had been identified and central government had made only limited contribution to strengthening works. Hammersmith & Fulham council has thus far borne the burden of considerable cost needed just to keep the Bridge safe and prevent further deterioration. I will press the department on timescales, but at least after six years there is an acknowledgement that the Bridge is a strategic structure which is able to call on national funding in the first instance."

Environmental campaigners argue that reopening the bridge to motor vehicles would be a backward step, pointing to repair estimates of £250m or more and the environmental benefits of reduced traffic. Meanwhile, motorists are already contending with the extended closure of Albert Bridge, less than five miles away, adding further pressure to the network.

The Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce, created in 2020 under then-Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, was intended to coordinate progress between central government, the council and TfL. But it met only once in 18 months, despite earlier promises that it would provide a “valuable forum” for overseeing repairs.

Mr Lightwood’s letter confirms that the taskforce will meet again once funding arrangements for the Structures Fund are finalised.