TfL announces it has "paused" work on Rotherhithe Bridge

TfL has today announced it is pausing work on the proposed Rotherhithe Bridge, after costs escalated to £600 Million.

The New Civil Engineer posted the news here. The ferry option is welcomed by Canary Riverside residents.

In a letter to London Assembly transport committee chair Florence Eshalomi, deputy mayor for transport Heidi Alexander said the scheme for the walking and cycling bridge had become unaffordable and recommended that project should “revert to the feasibility stage of development where strategic alternatives, such as a ferry service, can be reassessed”.

David Rowe, the TfL Head of Major Projects Sponsorship has sent the following letter to people who had responded to the TfL consultation:

Dear Stakeholder

You have previously responded to a consultation on, or shown an interest in the proposed new pedestrian and cycle crossing between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf. I would like to update you that having now investigated the potential for a bridge in greater detail we have decided to pause our work on this option, as we do not believe it is affordable at this time.

We still believe there remains a strong case for a new river crossing for pedestrians and cyclists between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf to relieve congestion on existing transport links, encourage more active travel and support growth in the Canada Water and Isle of Dogs Opportunity Areas.  We will therefore now be exploring options for a new fast ferry service to provide an improved route across the river for pedestrians and cyclists.

 We have carried out a substantial amount of complex and in-depth work to develop proposals for a bridge in this location following consultation and engagement with stakeholders. This would be a world-first piece of infrastructure and we now have a high-quality design, detailed procedures for how it would operate and plans for how it could be built.

 As we have developed this complex scheme however, it has become clear that the cost will be substantially greater than we originally anticipated. Further, we have been unable to identify any other substantial funding sources. Given the continued pressure on TfL’s finances we do not believe the bridge will be affordable at this time.  We will take our work on design, construction and operational plans to a logical end point to ensure that this can be reviewed and picked up again in the future.

 We will provide a further update once our proposals for a ferry service have progressed. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.

 Yours faithfully

 David Rowe

Head of Major Projects Sponsorship

Transport for London