Repair Work
In December 2011 Transport for London (TfL) issued a statement that "damage to the ageing 1960's structure has been caused by water ingress, including salt water due to grit laid during the winter months, which has corroded and weakened the cables which help support the flyover." TfL stated there was "a very remote possibility that Hammersmith Flyover collase."
The Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle claim that they were contacted on 14 December 2011 by a whistleblower who revealed that problems with the structure were far more severe than was being made public. The flyover was closed to all traffic from 23 December 2011 to 12 January 2012 after structural defects were discovered. From 13 January to 27 May the bridge was only open to a single lane of light traffic in each direction for repair work. TfL plans to strengthen six of the sixteen arches before the London 2012 Olympic Games and the remaining ten arches after the games. New post-tensioned steel cables "are being installed in concrete blocks above and below the deck’s central reservation". The repairs will extend the life of the bridge by 15 years. The cost of repairs is estimated to be around £10 million.
Read more about this topic: Hammersmith Flyover
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