Transport Insights

I have received some more information from Transport for London (TfL) about the “safety-critical” weight restriction on Vauxhall Bridge and its “long-term” plan to fix the structure, which seems to be to try harder to find funding for long-postponed refurbishment work.

TfL announced last week that from July vehicles over 18 tonnes will be prohibited from using the bridge, with the exception of (a large number of) buses and emergency vehicles.

It said this followed an assessment that showed that elements of the structure had deteriorated and that it has “a lower weight-bearing capacity than previously assessed”.

It has told me that the issue is “a newly identified defect, found during our most recent inspection”.

TfL says it has a programme of regular inspections for all structures across its road network, “with associated refurbishment projects where required”.

But, in the case of Vauxhall Bridge, the knowledge that significant refurbishment is needed has not caused such refurbishment to be delivered – and it may still not.

As I have pointed out, TfL has for many years postponed much-needed refurbishment for financial reasons, despite warnings that closures and restrictions could be the result.

In 2020 it closed the bridge for a few months, to carry out “vital maintenance” of the Edwardian structure, including bridge deck waterproofing, resurfacing the footway and carriageway, drainage improvements, kerb works and replacing the bridge’s expansion joints.

But its approach to the much-needed refurbishment works to the underside seems to have been to keep its fingers crossed.

In 2023 it quietly closed the bridge to abnormal loads, i.e. any vehicle exceeding 44 tonnes gross weight or 11.5 tonnes per axle.

Another three years on, TfL says the weight restriction will remain while it works to resolve the problems “as quickly as possible” and continues to develop ”a long-term” plan for the bridge, also known as finding the money to fix it.

A TfL spokesperson said:

TfL is committed to maintaining the safety and long-term future of Vauxhall Bridge. While we have been aware that the bridge requires longer-term refurbishment, its overall condition has declined since the refurbishment works took place in 2020. We are progressing feasibility work to understand the investment options for the bridge.

The future of the bridge depends on securing funding, and we are working to secure the investment needed to improve its condition and remove restrictions.

Some might argue that the decline in the bridge’s condition might be related to the lack of refurbishment, not a counterpoint to it.

And note that while TfL is hoping that it might find the money to remove restrictions, this is not necessarily the same as delivering the longer-term refurbishment.