Minister refuses to confirm election pledge for temporary Hammersmith Bridge
A transport minister has failed to stand by an election pledge by a fellow minister to build a temporary Hammersmith Bridge.
In December, transport minister George Freeman joined environment minister Zac Goldsmith in a Twitter video to confirm that the government wanted to build the temporary river crossing alongside Hammersmith Bridge.
Read more: Conservatives pledge temporary Hammersmith Bridge
Goldsmith, the former MP for Richmond Park, has long been an advocate for the temporary structure to ease traffic flow while the Hammersmith Bridge is closed to cars.
However, fellow transport minister Baroness Charlotte Vere today twice refused to confirm if the temporary bridge would go ahead at a House of Lords session.
“I understand there is a proposal to put a temporary bridge running alongside the existing structure, which will help active transport and other things like that,” she said.
“We said we would consider any proposals that were put to us.”
The statement could be perceived as a back down, after Freeman confirmed the Tories were keen on building the temporary bridge.
It is believed it would cost around £5m and take three months to build.
In the video, Freeman said: “This bridge is an absolutely key North-South link, it bridges two communities [who] we’ve talked to here [and are] hugely affected.
“Let’s get the key people, City Hall, the PM, the councils, let’s get this sorted.”
The Hammersmith and Fulham council closed Hammersmith Bridge in April due to “critical faults” that sparked safety concerns.
The council has said repairs could cost in the region of £120m and take three years to complete.
Transport for London (TfL) has so far committed £25m to the project to help with planning and design.
Vere was asked today whether the government was looking at funding the bridge’s restoration, however she indicated that TfL should take responsibility for funding most of it.
“We will consider all the proposals, but it will be up to TfL to put forward proposals according to their priorities,” she said.
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“The responsibility perhaps lies more broadly and I would expect TfL will take a role in driving this project forward.
“TfL has a budget of £10bn.”