Frustrated west London residents living near Albert Bridge have said the closure is causing traffic chaos, with journeys taking up to twice as long.
The bridge is owned by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, who have said that it could be closed until 2027, while it carries out a repair job costing up to £8.5milllion.
Residents from Chelsea and Battersea have now penned an open letter, which has been signed by over 1,100 people, calling for stakeholders to work together to get the bridge fixed and reopened as soon as possible.
The letter, addressed to Kensington & Chelsea and Wandsworth councils, the Mayor of London and TfL, says that residential roads around the bridge are “gridlocked for extended periods throughout the day”.
“The closure has fundamentally affected daily life across Chelsea and Battersea, not to mention surrounding areas. Journeys that once took minutes now take 40-50% longer,” it adds.
“Residential roads are gridlocked for extended periods throughout the day. Parents are spending substantially more time on school runs. Buses are delayed and increasingly unreliable.
“Local businesses are being affected by reduced accessibility. Emergency services face greater congestion, and thousands of people are losing valuable time every week simply trying to travel around their own neighbourhoods.
“This is no longer an inconvenience. It is a significant quality-of-life issue affecting families, businesses, schools and communities on both sides of the river.”
The letter calls on all relevant authorities to work together “with urgency, transparency and accountability” to minimise the impact of the closure while repairs take place.
Kensington and Chelsea Council confirmed that it had put in a bid for part-funding from Transport for London and the Department for Transport.
However Lord Sadiq Khan has refused to share the cost of repairs with the West London borough.
Speaking at City Hall, he said: “The responsibility for renewing and funding upgrades to Albert Bridge sits with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea as the bridge owner. Transport for London and I will continue to support the borough as far as possible.”
Councillor Josh Rendall, Lead Member for Transport on Kensington and Chelsea Council, said: “Major repairs on an important structure like Albert Bridge will inevitably cause disruption. As a local resident myself, I’ve felt the impact of the closure and understand people’s frustration.
“Ultimately, we are dealing with a bridge that is over 150 years old, predates motor vehicles and was opened when Queen Victoria was on the throne. A repair like this cannot be hurried – it must be done with the utmost care, consideration and with safety as the primary focus.
“I’m in close contact with campaign groups about the intensive work taking place to reopen Albert Bridge as soon as we feasibly can. Transport for London is aware of the disruption, and I am regularly pressing for traffic signals and arrangements to be reviewed.
“I thank the campaign groups and all those affected by the closure for their patience while we safely, responsibly and carefully restore this icon of London.”
Wandsworth Council, the Mayor of London and Transport for London did not respond to the LDRS’s request for a comment.