Boats not allowed under hammersmith bridge

[lenten]

the council have covered their arses by banning traffic-----if i was stuck on the wrong side i would just take my chance and go under

 

[TrueBlue]

London doesn't really value it's river (nor do most other towns with a frontage). Thus "we're" the least fo their problems...

 

[Outinthedinghy]

the council have covered their arses by banning traffic-----if i was stuck on the wrong side i would just take my chance and go under

I think there will be PLA and probably police enforcement


On the TFL status update it says this

"The closure will last until major refurbishment works to the 132-year-old bridge are complete. We are working with Hammersmith and Fulham Council to confirm the final plan for this work as soon as possible."

Keeping London moving

I believe this includes the River closure.

Bad news if so because it's not going to be a quick fix is it.

Of course if it were a vital trade route then it would sort of be essential to keep an opening of some sort but I don't think anything goes through there.and billionaire boats usually remain well below the bridge for obvious reasons so they won't have Russian oligarchs leaning on them.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

On the more positive side boats don't apply any loading to the bridge itself so after a full inspection perhaps it will be decided that boats can go under it after all if it's basically stable.

 

[ProDave]

Re the convoy thing.

I was not expecting a regular convoy arrangement. I accept the bridge is shut until made safe. But it means a number of boaters stranded in the wrong place.

I was thinking they could collate all those needing passage to get back, then fix a date and time for that, and have an engineer inspect the bridge immediately before allowing that passage to confirm that it was unlikely to collapse in the likely duration of the passage window.

If the traffic was important they might do that, so as others have said, no chance.

 

[pavlosimou]

Friends stuck up here have just phoned PLA and been told closed to water traffic for six weeks.

 

[steve yates]

the council have covered their arses by banning traffic-----if i was stuck on the wrong side i would just take my chance and go under

This, and I'm sure an enforcement fine would be considerably cheaper than lifting out, road transport and lifting back in.

 

[PeterBoater]

This, and I'm sure an enforcement fine would be considerably cheaper than lifting out, road transport and lifting back in.

What price the criminal record?

 

[Outinthedinghy]

That's interesting so it's almost exactly on the road transport/marina mooring crossover point in terms of costs.

I reckon I'd be looking at the road option myself.

Get it done.

What price the criminal record?

The PLA are known for playing hardball though aren't they.

Not sure if it would just be a fine or if you would be physically prevented by the PLA patrols.

I think they must have a security arrangement of some sort going on there.

AIS not showing any PLA Thames patrol vessels though to be fair.



The blue dot is "Chilli dog" which is a workboat.

So maybe you could just go under and face the fine.

 

[TrueBlue]

The bridge deck isn't very wide so wait for a falling tide,
open the taps
and zoom through....

It'll take more than 20 seconds for the carriage way to hit the water
Do you feel lucky??

 

[Lower Limit 1909]

Convoy variation.

Given the right state of the tide, a couple of tugs (or firmly anchored barges / pontoons) either side with decent winches, and a couple of small RIBs to reconnect boat and owner, it wouldn't seem too challenging to set up a system to pass boats without people under the bridge in a way that should cost a lot less than the road option if several could be done by appointment.

I'll leave it to the more cautious (or arguably wiser) members of this forum to find the flaw(s) in my cunning plan.

 

[steve yates]

What price the criminal record?

what criminal record? its a council bye law or similar they will have used to give them the power to say it's closed. You dont get a criminial record for speeding or numerous other minor offences.

 

[ProDave]

I would go for the fine then. Is it physically closed off with some form of barrier?

I guess Richmond lock might not let you through though?

 

[Black Sheep]

what criminal record? its a council bye law or similar they will have used to give them the power to say it's closed. You dont get a criminial record for speeding or numerous other minor offences.

I suspect the offence will be one under the Port of London Act, obstruction of, or failure to comply with orders of, an officer of the Port Authority. The PLA have issued a notice closing that part of the river to navigation, and establishing an exclusion zone.

 

[Newbroom]

A couple of PHYC boats tried yesterday and were tuned back by the PLA launches. You are not getting through without some method of force. Once you ignore the instructions of the authority you are on the wrong side of the law.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

One does not mess with the PLA.

I will always remember the day the EA were going to tow one or the slum boats through Teddington lock onto the tideway with their then owned tug Falconbrook but a PLA launch held station below the lock and prevented passage.

So the result was that Trotman got free towage the other way courtesy of EA.
It just seems unlikely one would be able to bypass them if they have put a cordon around the bridge.

Not local so I can't check but I wonder if that's what the workboats are up to. Maybe there is a physical barrier being put in.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

I suspect the offence will be one under the Port of London Act, obstruction of, or failure to comply with orders of, an officer of the Port Authority. The PLA have issued a notice closing that part of the river to navigation, and establishing an exclusion zone.

It's possible that the terrorism act could have been employed as well because there must now be a risk that someone may wish to bring the bridge down.

I definitely would not want to be a boater getting caught up in that sort of thing.

 

[st599]

Local MP is pushing for a pontoon bridge for pedestrians. Presumably that would completely close the river to traffic.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Local MP is pushing for a pontoon bridge for pedestrians. Presumably that would completely close the river to traffic.

I saw a pontoon bridge in Paris which had a moveable section with an outboard motor and a bridge keeper. He gated the bridge then motored the central section out the way to allow boats past.

That was on a canal so obviously more awkward on a tidal river but something ingenious could be devised.

But then there is still the problem of the bridge falling down...

 

[Lower Limit 1909]

The previous pontoon bridge over the Thames (Tilbury to Gravesend) had a ventral removable section to allow passage of large ships.
BBC - World War One At Home, Tilbury, Essex: The First Crossing Between Essex and Kent
BBC Video
As Outinthedinghy says obviously this won't fix the problem for us boaters.
I suspect different H&S criteria will apply in 2020 compared to 1915