UK: Hungerford Bridge Refurbishment Set to Begin
Network Rail has announced that refurbishment work on Hungerford Bridge will commence on 18 January.
Network Rail has announced that refurbishment work on Hungerford Bridge will commence on 18 January.
The 161-year old railway bridge, which provides routing over the Thames between South Bank and London Charing cross station, is set to receive a plethora of repairs and refurbishments, including the testing of truss pins, girder pin end cap replacement and a full paint job.
Work on the bridge is set to be carried out across two separate phases, with initial repairs commencing along the Southbank and south side portions between January 2025 and 2026, and the second phase, which will concern the main refurbishment works, is set to begin January 2026 with a final end date of Winter 2028.
The works will bring additional weekend closures between 2026 and 2028, but dates are yet to be confirmed.
“Many of the bridges on Britain’s railway are from the Victorian era and being responsible for this national heritage is both a privilege and a challenge. Some of the structures are very old, so are vulnerable to corrosion and damage from weather.
“Refurbishment of Hungerford Bridge will take three years, and we won’t need to close the bridge to trains during this first phase as we’ll be working at times that cause the least disruption to train services. This means we are carrying out some of our work during the night.
“To avoid further disruption, we will also use barges to deliver and remove waste materials to Surrey Pier for the period of the works to avoid creating extra traffic and the resulting pollution. This will avoid the equivalent of six truck freight deliveries through central London a week.”
Hungerford Bridge has seen a slew of repairs and refurbishments throughout its life, including the installation of a footbridge flanking the bridge itself in 2002 as part of Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, total deck replacement and the strengthening of cross girders following the Second World War.
