As local bus services to be rejigged due to Hammersmith Bridge closure

Transport for London have announced that they are reorganising bus services in areas affected by the closure of Hammersmith Bridge.

The formalisation of the temporary changes made to routes in the wake of the unheralded shutting of the bridge has raised fears that the closure is going to be protracted. TfL are understood to have warned local residents’ groups that the bridge may not reopen for two or three years. Feedback is being requested from passengers on the changes is being held even though they will come into effect immediately and this runs until the middle of October. We have asked TfL if this implies they expect no reopening this year.

Bus services were immediately rerouted after the Grade II* listed Hammersmith Bridge was closed on safety grounds in April. Six bus routes have been changed and one new route is being introduced. The changes will be introduced on Saturday 18 May.

TfL are to increase the capacity of the 265 between Roehampton and Putney Bridge station. The day route (approx.05:00-01:00) for the 72 bus starts and finishes at Hammersmith Bridge (north side bus stop), north of the river, no longer serving Castelnau, Rocks Lane, Barnes station or Roehampton.

At night, route 72 is renumbered N72, it continues to run between Roehampton and East Acton but is rerouted between Barnes station and Hammersmith bus station along Lower Richmond Road, Putney Bridge and Fulham Palace Road, no longer serving Rocks Lane (northern section), Castelnau or Hammersmith Bridge Road.

Maps demonstrating the changes will be displayed at affected routes.

The 209 is rerouted to run between Mortlake and Putney Bridge, no longer going to Hammersmith bus station. It will run along Station Road, Mill Hill Road, Lower Richmond Road and Putney Bridge, starting and finishing at the bus stops in Putney Bridge Approach, close to Putney Bridge station with no change to frequency.

The new route 533 will run between Barnes and Hammersmith via Chiswick Bridge. It runs along Hammersmith Bridge Road, Great West Road, the A316, Chiswick Bridge, Lower Richmond Road, Mortlake High Street (Barnes Bridge station), Lonsdale Road (eastbound only), Castelnau (southbound only), Church Road (Barnes Pond) (westbound only) and Barnes High Street (westbound only). The service will be every 30 minutes daily between approximately 05:00 and approximately 01:00.

The bus route 609 between Hammersmith and Mortlake will not be restored.

Other routes affected are 33, 72, 419, 485 which will run on shortened or altered routes and TfL warn passenger will experience a change in their journeys and should check before they travel.

TfL say they are trying to manage the impact that the closure is having on the road network. It has already begun making changes to traffic signal timings in the area to help the flow of traffic and will continue to monitor the situation to determine whether further changes are required.

Geoff Hobbs, Director of Public Transport Service Planning at TfL, said: “We had to reshape bus services in the area as a result of the bridge closure, but now we are able to finesse our changes to reduce its impact on customers. We urge customers to check how their journeys may be affected by visiting our website.

“We are working closely with the council's specialist engineers to conclude the final plan, and finalise costs, for upgrading the bridge as soon as possible.”
May 15, 2019

May 17, 2019