Forum Topic

Elliptical ribbon design proposed for Hammersmith Bridge: interesting and worth pursuing!

I think that this proposal is brilliant! Stephen Cowan, please be a little more gracious about this new idea. Yes, you didn't think of it. You also didn't think of the "box girder" inserted between the upright piers, did you?Let's pursue good ideas if they are technically and financially feasible. How much would the new ribbon bridges cost??

Una-Jane Winfield ● 47d15 Comments

A quicker way to get to St Paul's and back.  I wonder how much traffic was going there and back before and how that has changed since the bridge has been closed?  I know it changed in the past when it was closed.

Philippa Bond ● 46d

They had a 200m € donation from France's richest man for Notre Dame.

Nora Watkins ● 46d

It is a beautiful bridge and Madeleine's pithy remark above says everything about it.

Denis I. Fox ● 46d

'..(and) tunnelling under St Paul’s playing fields.'Shock, horror, how dare they even think of doing such a thing!

Peter Evans ● 46d

To be fair, there are some interesting ideas in there.I don't understand how AI can come up with this and yet not know the electrode polarity of stainless steel fluxcored welding wire.

Mark Frost ● 46d

As Edward said, you take a straight path.

Janice Evans ● 46d

It’s an engineering impossibility.  There’s very little twisting stiffness to counter the weight of the bridge and traffic on the curve.  At the very least it needs a pier in the middle. Otherwise we’d end up replacing a bridge that has a high risk of failing if motor vehicles are put back on it with one which is certain to fail. There are some other details: it requires the demolition of the Old City Arms, putting traffic feet away from the windows of the mansion block on the north side and, it appears, tunnelling under St Paul’s playing fields.

Tom Pike ● 46d

When I looked at the article I thought it was April the first.

Brian Green ● 46d

Jesus wept …. They sorted out Notre Dame in 4 bloody years ……

Madeleine Hazard ● 47d

I asked AI to create a few new ideas
This is what it has thrown up

Julian Pavey ● 47d

All I want is for the bl**dy thing to be reopened!!!!!

Juliet Hogg ● 47d

Agree with Edward and Nora.

Janice Evans ● 47d

I looked at the article earlier,  the design looks like it goes directly over the Old City Arms,  and probably some of the sports grounds on the South side.  It doesn't look like a practical (or cheaper) alternative for what's already on offer.

Nora Watkins ● 47d

Surely that design will block the beauty of the bridge And it looks silly. The only viable solution has always been to dismantle the bridge and reconstruct as a pedestrian bridge further down the river. Redesign a higher/wider near identical deign copy of the bridge and rebuild with stronger materials . Much cheaper and solves the problem. I can’t understand why they keep insisting on keeping a structure not fit for purpose.

Alex Brown ● 47d

Anything with curves tends to cost more because you’re effectively adding extra length—often around 𝜋 × 𝑟more, compared to a straight path.In the case of the Hammersmith Bridge proposal, those “elliptical ribbons” likely mean additional materials, engineering complexity, and long-term maintenance costs. If the goal is cost-effective restoration, adding two curved structures seems like an expensive detour—both literally and financially.It’s no wonder the council dismissed it as an “eccentric press stunt”—though, to be fair, this is not a council known for its own inventive genius.

Edward Przepiora ● 47d