Hammersmith Flyover refurbishment enters final phase

Major strengthening of the Hammersmith Flyover in west London has entered its final phase.

More than 80 per cent of the tensioning work is now done and there are only four more weekend closures required to complete the refurbishment.

Since October 2013, Transport for London (TfL) has been working to complete the vital refurbishment, strengthening 11 of the flyover's 16 spans after the initial five were repaired in 2012. This restoration – part of TfL’s wider £4bn Road Modernisation Plan – has been primarily carried out overnight to reduce disruption to road users and residents.

Earlier this month, the last of 34 bearings underneath the flyover were replaced, allowing it to adapt to weather conditions and expand in the summer and shrink in the winter by up to 180mm. Last year, the entire flyover was resurfaced and waterproofed with a new concrete central reservation installed. A total of 6.5km of tensioning cables have now been attached and threaded through the structure – when fully tensioned they will strengthen the flyover and ensure it remains safe to use for many decades.

The final major piece of work is to replace the two five tonne expansion joints within the carriageway, which allow the structure to flex as traffic moves across it.

Dana Skelley, director of asset management at TfL, said: “Our work to complete the vital refurbishment of the Hammersmith Flyover is progressing really well. These final weekend closures will allow us to replace the expansion joints within the structure, which will mean the flyover will be fit to carry traffic for many years to come.”