Kier starts £25m first phase of Hammersmith Bridge repair

Kier has started work on the £25m first phase of repair work to the 132-year-old Hammersmith Bridge in London.However, the total cost of repairing the unique Historic England-listed bridge is unknown, with estimates running as high as £120m, because of the complexities involved in working on such an old structure.Transport for London (TfL) is contributing £25m and, with Hammersmith & Fulham Council, exploring the most appropriate funding for the next phase of repairs. The contract award for this work is due to be announced next spring and is expected to take around three years.The bridge has been closed since April this year, when several hairline micro-fractures were discovered in the cast iron casing around the pedestals that have held the suspension chains in place since 1887. Cast iron can shatter, which is one of the reasons this is the only bridge of its kind in the world.Once repairs are completed, the refurbished bridge will enable cars and buses to cross, including heavier electric single-deckers, but to prevent future damage, TfL will limit the flow of buses on and off the bridge.