London Mayor Sadiq Khan on April 28 withdrew support for the River Thames Garden Bridge project, effectively killing the $255-million job. Though promoted privately, some $50 million of public money has been sunk in the project and more is at stake.
The mayor’s decision not to underwrite the estimated $3.8-million annual maintenance cost for decades ahead, should the Garden Bridge Trust (GBT) fail to secure sufficient private funds, doomed the scheme. Without the guarantee, London’s port authority and the boroughs at either end of the bridge have so far refused required approvals.