Outstanding engineering checks are holding up Hammersmith Bridge repair progress

摘要

A series of engineering inspections on Hammersmith Bridge have yet to be carried out, even though the Victorian structure has been closed to motorised traffic for more than two years. The bridge was completely closed in August 2020 after cracks in the suspension bridge's cast iron pedestals widened following a period of warm weather. At the time, local council leaders warned that the bridge could fail and collapse into the River Thames without urgent action. HammersmithBridgeSOS, a local campaign group, is now asking why it has taken so long for the council's engineering team to inspect the bridge. Outstanding checks include inspections to the chain knuckles in the bridge's chain linked suspension cable. A knuckle joint connects two components allowing movement in one plane only. The knuckles are pin joint connections between the bridge's chain and the vertical hangers.