A4 Hammersmith Flyover closures planned for repair work to take place

Simon Bull, London24 editor Monday, April 16, 2012
12:09 PM

Temporary closures of the A4 Hammersmith Flyover in west London have been announced as repair work on the damaged structure continues.

Transport for London (TfL) will this week begin installing new tensioning cables inside the flyover as part of ongoing work to fully reopen the structure to all traffic.

The flyover was closed just before last Christmas after a “serious structural defect” was discovered.

Engineers checking the condition of internal cables holding the spans of the concrete structure in place had been monitoring the 1960s flyover over the previous two years.

It was thought the structure had a number of years before major repair work would be needed.

Checks showed repair work was needed earlier than anticipated and then additional technical problems were identified.

Water damage had corroded and weakened cables giving the bridge its strength.

Repair work began in January and has seen around 200 metres of the central reservation along the flyover removed, a new structural slab and concrete barriers installed, as well as anchorages for the new cables installed within the structure.

New cables will be installed above and below the bridge deck which will supplement the load capacity of the existing cables.

The new cables are surrounded by wax oil to prevent deterioration and allow inspection and replacement if required in the future.

For the cables to be installed, the flyover will need to be closed to traffic at certain times.

It will be closed from Saturday evening until 5pm on Sunday and for the same times the following weekend.

These Sunday closures will allow TfL to complete work more quickly and efficiently, minimising disruption to motorists in the area.

Following a review of the works programme, TfL has removed the requirement for full weekend closures planned for the flyover. These have now been replaced by overnight closures at times when traffic is significantly lighter.

Night-time closures of the flyover will begin on Wednesday and run until Monday, April 30, between 10pm and 6am, except on Saturday mornings when the flyover will reopen at 10am and on Saturday evenings when the flyover will close at 6pm.

Traffic diversions will be in place during the closures and oeioke are advised to find alternative routes.

TfL will continue to work around the clock to complete the works with the aim of fully reopening the flyover in June.

Garrett Emmerson, chief operating officer for surface transport at TfL, said: “We are now approaching a critical phase in our race to reopen the Hammersmith Flyover as quickly as possible.

“This will require a number of overnight and weekend closures to ensure that the works are carried out safely and correctly.

“I would once again like to apologise for any inconvenience that this work is causing and reassure Londoners that we are continuing to work around the clock to complete these vital works as quickly as possible.”