Albert Bridge closes fully after ‘slight movement’ detected

A Grade-II listed bridge nicknamed ‘The Trembling Lady’ has been forced to close after it was spotted ‘moving slightly’ by engineers.

Albert Bridge, which was closed to cars earlier this year due to a part of the bridge cracking, has now been shut for the foreseeable future to cyclists and pedestrians as well.

Andrew Burton, the director of highways at Kensington and Chelsea council, which is responsible for the 153-year-old bridge, said: ‘We have closed Albert Bridge to pedestrians and cyclists as well as motor traffic as a precaution, after picking up some small changes to movement on our sensors.

‘Our contractors are on site but the closure will remain in place while we continue to monitor the bridge’s movements over the next 24 hours.’

The borough said previously it intends to fully repair and reopen Albert Bridge.

Repairs are estimated to cost £8.5 million and can take around 12 months, leading residents fearful it will follow in the footsteps of Hammersmith Bridge.

Residents living near Albert Bridge said while they welcomed the ban for cars, the bridge being closed completely is a headache.

A pensioner, who has lived in Chelsea for 30 years, told Metro: ‘The full closure is a pain in the arse. When you walk across it, the bridge vibrates anyway. It vibrates, there is no question. The closure came out of the blue. Everyone is asking why the council has done this.

‘One of the great joys was to cross without traffic, air was so clean and it was lovely. It is difficult for people who have to cross the bridge a lot, and they don’t want to go to Chelsea bridge.’

Locals said they feared that the motor traffic ban on Albert and Hammersmith bridge would make the roads busier due to more vehicles being pushed towards other bridges in the city.

However, latest data shows that volume of cars reduced between 2018 and 2024 on Putney, Wandsworth, Battersea, Chelsea, and Chiswick bridges, despite the 2019 closure of Hammersmith.

Some Metro readers have previously said the troubled Victorian bridges should be opened for light traffic only, while others called for them to be replaced entirely.

Martin Sloman said: ‘Why not allow these bridges to enjoy their retirement with people walking, cycling and on the occasional horse? Surely closer to their original purpose.’

Martin Reynolds said: ‘Take them down and build a modern reincarnation of these bridges that suits the character, yes they’re lovely to look at, but bridges are there to serve a purpose.’

Simon Munk, the head of campaigns at London Cycling Campaign, told Metro: ‘Whatever happens next, London is massively overdue a grown-up conversation about all bridges and tunnels across the River Thames.

‘We have a double whammy of a lack of cycling and walking crossings in London and loads of ageing tunnels that were not built for the amount of traffic they carry.’

Instead of fighting over the future of individual Victorian bridges and crossings, the focus needs to be on finding a solution for commercial traffic, buses and cycling, he said.

He continued: ‘What we have now clearly doesn’t work as we are spending millions on individual assets.

‘What is going to be next? Rotherhithe, which already has plans to close for a while, or Tower Bridge?’

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