One Major London bridge could become the first in the capital to start charging drivers a toll fee.
It comes as Hammersmith Bridge which has been closed to buses, emergency vehicles and cars since 2019 for repairs may implement the toll once reopened.
The repairs are expected to cost £200 million and with repairs set to take 10 years to complete, the toll is set to cover the bill.
The bridge was closed on public safety grounds after discovering micro-fractures on the Victorian structure, making it unsafe due to the threat of collapse.
In July 2021, Hammersmith Bridge reopened to cyclists and pedestrians but is subject to ongoing monitoring for safety.
Hammersmith Bridge could charge a toll
Since the bridge's closures four years ago, many have shared their frustration towards Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF) Council which is responsible for the structure.
The funding for repairs is being supported by the Government with ministers offering £3 million investment.
However, plans to charge a toll have seen many residents not happy with the proposed plan to install a toll gate.
Speaking to The Telegraph LBHF shared that if plans to a temporary double structure with parts of the original Grade II-listed bridge underneath taken away, it would mean that the bridge might not open until 2027.
Plus, it could also see the cost of the project rise from £140 million to £200 million, due to inflation and the war in Ukraine.
A spokesperson from the council told The Telegraph: “It is absolute nonsense for anyone to say that a historic iron bridge riddled with 70 years of untreated erosion and decay can be fixed overnight.
"It would be much better if people focused on sorting out the funding and left the world-leading engineers, that we have employed, to work at pace on what is a uniquely challenging project.
“We are getting on with fixing the bridge as quickly as possible despite the conditions imposed on us to meet HM Treasury's Green Book 5 Case Rule and the unprecedented demand on our residents for a vast local contribution."
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