Three weeks in the council reports good progress & race ready

The £1.5m Putney Bridge repairs project is making good progress and a temporary running lane has now been laid ahead of this Sunday’s RideLondon event.

Wandsworth Council, RideLondon and TfL officials inspect the cycle running lane.

Transport spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook said:
“The first three weeks have gone well and the bridge is now ready to play its part in the RideLondon festival. Putney town centre will be the ideal place for cycling fans to come and watch the riders this Sunday and soak up the atmosphere.

“As soon as the event is over we will continue the vital job of repairing and reopening this bridge.”

During week three the contractors have continued to apply spray waterproofing and protection material to the exposed concrete deck and new granite kerbs have been re-laid on the eastern side of the bridge.

The temporary running lane and safety measures for RideLondon have also been completed and were given the seal of approval event official earlier today (Friday). Around 80,000 cyclists will cross the Bridge on Sunday as they travel north into central London.

Meanwhile work has continued in the subway area where the arch covering and brickwork is being exposed and repaired.
The ornate lamp columns from the bridge have been removed and are currently receiving a full restoration off site by selected craftsmen in factory conditions.

Also this week, new cycle rails were fitted to the stairs on both sides of the Deodar Road Rail Bridge which means it’s now much easier to use this alternative Thames crossing with a bike.


Traffic levels are much lower than usual on the high street

Throughout the repairs project Putney Bridge will be closed to all vehicle traffic. It remains open to pedestrians and cyclists can also cross if they dismount and push their bikes.

The work is taking place during the summer months when traffic is at its quietest and is scheduled for completion in October this year.

The works also now include a separate project to fix the damage caused last month when a single decker bus crashed into the bridge’s parapet wall. This will involve retrieving six large granite blocks from the riverbed after they were sent plummeting into the Thames as a result of the collision.

Buses are currently operating a shuttle service from both ends of Putney Bridge. This means that passengers must cross the bridge on foot and catch another bus to continue their journey. Transport for London has confirmed that people only need to pay one fare.

Staff from TfL are positioned on both sides of the bridge to assist passengers. Details of the affected bus routes, along with maps showing where bus stops have been re-positioned, can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/putney-bridge-closure.

Motorists can access up-to-the-minute travel alerts through the @tfltrafficnews twitter feed and on TfL’s website at www.tfl.gov.uk/trafficnews.

People can find out more about the closure and also view TfL’s bus maps at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/putneybridge.

Week 2 update

Week 1 update

August 9, 2014