Boats not allowed under hammersmith bridge

ProDave

Well-known member
Joined
5 Sep 2010
Messages
15,087
Location
Alness / Black Isle Northern Scottish Highlands.
Visit site
Local press reporting that a military aid request has been filed. Army to build a temporary bridge as getting kids to school is impacted by the closure of Hammersmith Bridge.

If the army supply a bridge I doubt that it will have the ability to allow traffic through, even if passage was granted under the existing bridge. Not that I know anything about army bridges other than what we see in films!

Army asked if they can build a new London bridge over the River Thames
Which is why I think it is important to allow at least some opening times now to get stranded boats back to where they want to be.

It's one thing to have a well advertised planned long closure with plenty of warning. But the present situation appears to be a long closure that had no warning,
 

Scholar Gypsy

Member
Joined
1 Feb 2012
Messages
51
scholargypsy.judgefamily.org.uk
Local press reporting that a military aid request has been filed. Army to build a temporary bridge as getting kids to school is impacted by the closure of Hammersmith Bridge.

If the army supply a bridge I doubt that it will have the ability to allow traffic through, even if passage was granted under the existing bridge. Not that I know anything about army bridges other than what we see in films!

Army asked if they can build a new London bridge over the River Thames

I'm surprised that nobody is setting up a ferry. Would be quicker and cheaper than a bridge, I suspect. TfL had already been consulting on plans for a temporary bridge for cyclists and pedestrians.

Hammersmith Bridge
 

oldgit

Well-known member
Joined
6 Nov 2001
Messages
27,458
Location
Medway
Visit site
Aylesford on the Medway had temporary "Bailey " bridge which boats could navigate under, however the span was barely 100ft.
It was in position for about 20 years before the funds were finally found to construct a " proper" one.
Cannot find a photo anywhere ?
 
Last edited:

Lower Limit 1909

Active member
Joined
8 May 2016
Messages
192
Visit site
I'm surprised that nobody is setting up a ferry. Would be quicker and cheaper than a bridge, I suspect. TfL had already been consulting on plans for a temporary bridge for cyclists and pedestrians.

Hammersmith Bridge

In the immediate vicinity of the bridge I think by the time you had installed a pontoon either side for mooring / embarking / disembarking with a suitable walkway to get there from shore at low tide (especially on the North side) you would have built about 2/3rds of a pontoon bridge.

In fact finishing off the bit in the middle between the pontoons would be a lot easier than building the two sides. Not to mention the Risk Analysis of how close you'd want to be the the bridge in ferry in the possible event of an sudden and catastrophic failure of the bridge.

There is a substantial pontoon that if I recall correctly is accesible at all tide states about 150 metres downstream on the North side and a corresponding set of steps on the South side (both adjacent to public footpaths) that would require simple and minimal additional pontoon structure on the south side to support a workable ferry service. Probably still better to put a pontoon bridge there than a ferry though.

A Richmond Council Press Release on 25th August included "We ... are working with Hammersmith and Fulham Council to see whether ferry services might provide a short-term solution"
 

Time Out

Well-known member
Joined
19 Dec 2015
Messages
1,269
Visit site
Surely the easiest and quickest solution right now is to knock it down ASAP that solves the safety issue.

Genoa knocked up a new bridge after the collapse ( far bigger) in record time and I Believe Walton was a temporary bridges for more years than I have been on this planet !

It’s a royal pain in the backside for locals but let’s face it there are several other options available to cross.

It’s going to be a world of pain for months so they may as well take the horse to the yard right now and shoot it.
 

Outinthedinghy

Well-known member
Joined
18 May 2008
Messages
1,572
Location
Limehouse hole or Cookham
Visit site
I've been under and over Walton bridge in the last couple of days and must say it's quite a good item.

Taking down Emma Smith bridge and replacing it with something 21st century does seem to be incredibly sensible.

Talking to a couple of boaters who are stuck the wrong side of it they said that the LBHF man called Anvar Alizadeh Email: anvar. alizadeh@lbhf.gov.uk is compiling a list of boats which are trapped.

So it is possible that if enough people contact him then something might happen.

Seems a bit improbable if the bridge is about to collapse but can't be any harm making contact if you have been put in a problematic situation.
 

oldgit

Well-known member
Joined
6 Nov 2001
Messages
27,458
Location
Medway
Visit site
It would appear RCC have about six boats up above Hammersmith. Not sure if crews are still aboard or have come home.
Two other boats somehow got wind of the problem and came through hours before shutdown.

The fact the bridge is "historic" will ensure it is repaired.
Possible some sort of "support" installed underneath to enable continued passage under bridge, remains open to pedestrians but closed to vehicles.
Cannot be difficult to get some sort of jack up rig underneath, plenty around at the moment.
Would love the see some pixs of the damage.
 
Last edited:

TrueBlue

Well-known member
Joined
30 Apr 2004
Messages
4,476
Location
Sussex
Visit site
There's not a lot of water around when the tide's out.
Access to whatever solution migh be propsed would need a fair amount of 'civil engineering' from the existing road way to a ferry or a pontoon bridge might need much work which might affect / destroy the existing structure / embankment surroundings.
I wonder whether multiple support towers set into the river bed to hold the existing carriageway might not be a more practical soliution - solving two problems at once?
There are photos of the cracks in the pedestals here

Hammersmith Bridge closed because cracks in pedestals


Lots of little cracks apparently.

Not sure there is any other damage to the bridge.
There is major corrosion in the bolts that hold each link in the suspension chain. These can be replaced 'reasonably easily'. It's the extend of the cracks in the pillars and can they be repaired that is causing a lot of head scratching at the moment.
 

Freeman30

Member
Joined
23 Mar 2010
Messages
33
Visit site
UTMYC have 6 boats trapped below the Hammersmith Bridge and currently holed up in St Kats.

I do not understand why it is so dangerous for boats to pass underneath it as it is still standing over 14 days since the restrictions were imposed. It would only take 30 secs to pass under it.
 

ProDave

Well-known member
Joined
5 Sep 2010
Messages
15,087
Location
Alness / Black Isle Northern Scottish Highlands.
Visit site
UTMYC have 6 boats trapped below the Hammersmith Bridge and currently holed up in St Kats.

I do not understand why it is so dangerous for boats to pass underneath it as it is still standing over 14 days since the restrictions were imposed. It would only take 30 secs to pass under it.
I said earlier. Arse covering. Nobody is prepared to say it will not fall down in case it just happens to in that 30 seconds. That's why I proposed a limited opening time convoy system just to get stranded boats back, where it could be re inspected before each transit window.

I actually think it will be a very complicated repair. When built, the chain suspension spans will have been strung across first then the deck hung from them. If the chain joints have all seized, then you are asking to diismantle and refurbish the suspension chains, but what will hold the road deck up during that operation? Does the road deck have to come off to do that? hence a repair time of years and astronomical cost?

There is no quick fix here. They have been sweeping it under the carpet for years, and there is nowhere left to sweep.
 

oldgit

Well-known member
Joined
6 Nov 2001
Messages
27,458
Location
Medway
Visit site
Thanks for those pix.
Very interesting. Suspect that bridge is one giant complicated jigsaw puzzle or Meccano set. Nobody considered that it would still be going years later so no consideration about ease of repairs, lots of bits got to be dismantled before you can get to the bits that actually need fixing.
All due to years of delayed mantainance cos nobody wanted to spend any money but finally and inevitably the thing suddenly becomes unusable.
...................bit like outdrives really :):):).
 

st599

Well-known member
Joined
9 Jan 2006
Messages
7,182
Visit site
I said earlier. Arse covering. Nobody is prepared to say it will not fall down in case it just happens to in that 30 seconds. That's why I proposed a limited opening time convoy system just to get stranded boats back, where it could be re inspected before each transit window.

I actually think it will be a very complicated repair. When built, the chain suspension spans will have been strung across first then the deck hung from them. If the chain joints have all seized, then you are asking to diismantle and refurbish the suspension chains, but what will hold the road deck up during that operation? Does the road deck have to come off to do that? hence a repair time of years and astronomical cost?

There is no quick fix here. They have been sweeping it under the carpet for years, and there is nowhere left to sweep.
I think the road deck sits on timber spars, as I seem to remember there being an issue with a lack of wooden ships being broken up.
 

Outinthedinghy

Well-known member
Joined
18 May 2008
Messages
1,572
Location
Limehouse hole or Cookham
Visit site
Hammersmith isn't the only Thames bridge to suffer from many decades of neglect and overloading:
Albert Bridge, London - Wikipedia
The policy of making just one London borough council, in Hammersmith's case LBHF and I guess not a particularly rich one, responsible for what is a London-wide asset has proved to be incredibly stupid.
Hammersmith Bridge:
Hammersmith Bridge - Wikipedia
Vauxhall bridge also currently closed to road traffic.

And the westway limited to 30mph when it was designed for 50mph.

There are a few seriously nackered large pieces of infrastructure about.
 

Outinthedinghy

Well-known member
Joined
18 May 2008
Messages
1,572
Location
Limehouse hole or Cookham
Visit site
I still think that this is a dead giveaway (at 5:00 where the happy and confident council leader comments about the funding).

He seems much too pleased about this problem...


I never really paid much attention to the bridge but in that video clip there was this scene which does beg the question what is it still doing there ?
Looks a bit warped. At the end of the day to fix it they will have to completely dismantle it and rebuild it. Totally ridiculous!!

Screenshot from the video clip:Screenshot_20200829-151518~2.png

Maybe it's just the angle of view.
 
Last edited:

chrishscorp

Well-known member
Joined
4 Jan 2015
Messages
2,172
Location
Live in Fareham Area, Boat in Gosport
Visit site
An article came up in my news feed from a construction periodical, I cant find it again pretty sure its the same bridge. I dont think its just cracks in the pedestals I think sections of the metal deck and structure are badly cracked as well partly as a result of the hot summer, so requiring big repairs. The numbers the article was talking about were £150M which is not going to be afforable by any council.
 

Other threads that may be of interest

Top