Albert Bridge is still shut to traffic, and Chelsea and Battersea are feeling it
More than 1,100 residents have signed an open letter as repairs to the Thames crossing could keep it closed to vehicles until 2027.
Albert Bridge, the Thames crossing between Chelsea and Battersea, has been closed to traffic since February 2026. Now residents on both sides of the river are asking the authorities to get it fixed faster.
An open letter calling for the bridge to be repaired and reopened as soon as possible has been signed by more than 1,100 people, according to the Evening Standard and the BBC.
What happened to the bridge
The bridge shut in February after a crack was found in a cast iron abutment, the Standard reports. In April it reopened to pedestrians and cyclists, but it remains closed to vehicles.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea owns the bridge. It has said the closure could last until 2027 while repairs costing up to £8.5m are carried out.
What residents are saying
The letter is addressed to Kensington and Chelsea Council, Wandsworth Council, the mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL). It says residential roads around the bridge are "gridlocked for extended periods throughout the day".
It also says journeys that once took minutes now take 40 to 50% longer. The Standard reports that residents describe journeys taking up to twice as long.
The letter lists other effects: parents spending more time on school runs, buses that are delayed and increasingly unreliable, local businesses hit by reduced accessibility, and emergency services facing greater congestion.
Its authors say the closure is "no longer an inconvenience" but "a significant quality-of-life issue" affecting families, businesses, schools and communities on both sides of the river. They ask the authorities to work together "with urgency, transparency and accountability" to limit the impact while repairs go on.
Who pays
Kensington and Chelsea Council has confirmed it has bid for part-funding from TfL and the Department for Transport.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said the cost sits with the borough. Speaking at City Hall, he said: "The responsibility for renewing and funding upgrades to Albert Bridge sits with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea as the bridge owner." He added that he and TfL would "continue to support the borough as far as possible".
Wandsworth Council, TfL and the mayor's office did not respond to the Local Democracy Reporting Service's request for comment on the letter, the Standard and the BBC both report.
The council's view
Josh Rendall, the council's lead member for transport, said major repairs on an important structure would "inevitably cause disruption". He said he lives locally and has felt the impact himself.
He pointed to the bridge's age: it is over 150 years old, predates motor vehicles and was opened when Queen Victoria was on the throne. "A repair like this cannot be hurried," he said, adding that it must be done with safety as the primary focus.
Rendall said he is in close contact with campaign groups and is "regularly pressing" TfL to review traffic signals and arrangements. He thanked those affected for their patience while the council works to restore what he called an "icon of London".
Know before you go
- Albert Bridge is open to pedestrians and cyclists, and has been since April.
- It remains closed to motor traffic, and could stay that way until 2027.
- Repairs are expected to cost up to £8.5m.
- The bridge is owned and managed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Sources: Evening Standard, BBC News
