Freight on the Aire & Calder and support for residential boaters are among some of the issues we’ve been campaigning on with your help. Here’s how we’ve been doing on these and other affairs…
Hammersmith Bridge reopens Hammersmith Bridge, which was closed for nearly a year, has now reopened to all boats, pedestrians and cyclists. In May, IWA joined the Company of Watermen & Lightermen of the River Thames in calling for unrestricted navigation under Hammersmith Bridge to be allowed at the earliest possible date, in a letter to the transport minister, Baroness Vere. When the bridge was condemned as dangerous and closed in August 2020, no boats were allowed to pass under this iconic structure on the tidal Thames. A traffic-light-controlled system for booked passages for vessels that met strict criteria was introduced, although transit was still severely restricted. This had significant impact on passenger boats and other commercial operators. It also
restricted privately owned boats from travelling down the river into London, or completing the Thames Ring. Delays in carrying out engineering checks added to the slow progress in reopening the bridge to traffic over and under it. The closure caused considerable hardship, inconvenience and cost to commercial operators. These businesses had already been badly impacted by the Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions over the last year, and at least one company failed as a direct result of the bridge closure. The closure caused this year’s Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race to be relocated to the River Ouse at Ely, the first time it hasn’t taken place on the Thames since World War II. The letter, which was also co-signed by RYA, British Marine and the Commercial
Boat Operators Association among others, asked the minister to consider some practical measures to allow navigation to resume under the bridge as soon as possible. For example, once the bridge has been made safe, allowing boats to use the river while repairs are being carried out, in the same way that traffic was able to continue during the construction of the Blackfriars Station extension over the Thames. In responding to the joint letter, Baroness Vere was hopeful that, subject to a Hammersmith & Fulham Council inspection report due at the end of June, the bridge could be open to all river traffic by early July 2021. The Department for Transport announced that it is willing to pay a third of the cost of getting the bridge reopened, with Transport for London and Hammersmith & Fulham Council also being expected to pay a third each. The closure highlights the importance of long-term funding for repairs and maintenance of historic bridges and other heritage infrastructure. The bridge reopened to cyclists, pedestrians and all boat traffic in midJuly. However, traffic signals are still in operation and will prevent river passage if sensors on the bridge detect a problem. Narrowboats pass underneath Hammersmith Bridge.
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Tim Lewis
CAMPAIGNING WITH YOU
Autumn 2021 20/07/2021 15:21
