A plan to thread a new truss between the iron suspension towers of the 134-year-old Hammersmith Bridge over the River Thames could shorten its closure by years and allow repairs to be done offsite. Frustrated London commuters would otherwise have to wait at least six years for the heavily used bridge to reopen after it closed in 2019 for essential repairs.

Because of cracks in the iron structure, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF) shut its bridge to motor vehicles in April 2019, affecting 22,000 daily crossings. When cracking worsened, the bridge last summer closed also to pedestrians and cyclists.