Albert Bridge repairs
Video: What's actually happening at Albert Bridge?
- Transcript of this video
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(00:00) If you live or commute around Chelsea, you would have seen that the Albert Bridge is closed to cars since February. As a local resident, I get it. Increased traffic is frustrating for everyone. So, what's actually happening? During a routine safety [music] check, we found a crack in a cast iron component.
(00:18) Because this iconic bridge is about 150 years old, we couldn't just buy the component off the shelf. Our engineers have been working intensely behind the scenes using computer modelling to build and design a custom piece to fit here on the bridge. Progress isn't always visible from the street, but we're investing up to £8.5million to fix not only this cracked component, but refurbish the whole bridge and ensure that it is viable for the future.
(00:43) The good news is that we're completely on track to start physical [music] work here on the bridge before Christmas this year with the full reopening of the bridge scheduled for next year in 2027. We're working with Transport for London and Wandsworth Council to ensure the traffic is moving the best we can in the meantime.
(00:57) [music] Safety always comes first, but getting this bridge open is a top priority. We thank everyone for your patience while we get this job done.
Why Albert Bridge is closed
The Council inspects Albert Bridge regularly.
We closed it to motor traffic on 7 February 2026 when a routine inspection found a crack in a cast iron component at one of the bridge abutments.
The bridge is currently closed to motor vehicles to prevent further damage to the bridge.
What work is taking place
We have committed to:
- fully repair the cracked component and free the seized axle in the joint
- improve the bridge while it is closed, including measures to stop parts seizing again, a new road surface, refurbished toll booths and replace the bridge lighting with LEDs to improve energy efficiency
You can read more in the report to the Leadership Team.
Why it is taking so long to repair
The repair is complex because replacement components must be specially designed and manufactured rather than sourced off-the-shelf.
Following detailed investigations on site, and computer modelling of the bridge’s movements, we have a bespoke design solution to replace the damaged component. We are building a new part of the bridge. Before we can install it, we need carefully to install temporary works to allow us safely to support the weight of the bridge while the damaged part is removed.
When Albert Bridge will reopen
We are committed to reopening Albert Bridge to traffic as soon as it is safe to do so in 2027. Given the complex nature of the repair works, and that specialist sub-contractors will be needed, it is not currently possible to provide a definitive reopening date. We will continue to provide updates via the Council website, as key project milestones are achieved and programme certainty increases.
What is being done to manage traffic around Albert Bridge
We recognise the impact this closure is having on residents, including longer journey times and congestion.
The single most important thing we can do to reduce the disruption is to reopen the bridge to motor traffic as soon as possible, and this is our priority.
While the bridge remains closed, the Council is one of three traffic authorities (with Transport for London and Wandsworth Council) that is taking action to reduce the impact of the bridge’s closure. The Council is rescheduling planned works on its roads by utility companies as well as its own schemes.
Transport for London, which manages Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk and Battersea Bridge, is upgrading its traffic signals and adjusting traffic signal timings where possible to improve traffic flow.
Why you can't see any works taking place on the bridge
A huge amount of work has been done by the Council and its contractors since the bridge closed. Much of this work has not taken place on the bridge structure itself and work that has is either below deck level or within the abutments, meaning that it is not always visible. These works included measures to stabilise the bridge and prevent further damage.
The Council’s contractor has carried out numerous surveys of all parts of the bridge to provide our designers with the information they needed to build a sophisticated computer model of the bridge and to identify the best design solution. There has also been extensive computer modelling and procurement work taking place in Council offices to allow the on-site work to progress as soon as possible. We will update the webpage to explain what works are taking place each month.
Progress updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| July 2026 |
Information boards have been installed at either end of Albert Bridge. They provide information on the closure and the bridge’s history. We also produced a video update with Cllr Rendall for social media. |
| June 2026 |
From Monday 29 June, those living near or passing by Albert Bridge will see and hear construction works as part of our work to reopen the bridge to vehicle traffic in 2027. Contractors will be grit blasting the rocker bearings in the northern abutment chambers. This is the first stage of physically repairing these damaged components and will also help prevent similar damage happening in the future. |
| May 2026 |
We chose our preferred design for the repair. Our contractors are now planning the work. |
| April 2026 |
We installed a temporary support (prop) to reduce the risk of the bridge needing to close to pedestrians and cyclists. The prop supports the weakened cast iron component and will stay in place until a permanent repair is designed and completed. |
| March 2026 |
The Council’s Leadership Team agreed to fully repair the cracked component and free the seized axle in the joint, which is believed to have caused the damage to the bridge. They also agreed to bring forward other improvement and maintenance works to reduce future disruption. |
The Trembling Lady
Albert Bridge was designed and built by English engineer Rowland Mason Ordish in 1873. A star in its own right, Albert Bridge attracts tourists from around the world, especially lit up at night on the London skyline.
The bridge has starred on screen in films such as Sliding Doors, Love Actually, Absolute Beginners and Bridget Jones’s Baby.
From soon after its construction, Albert Bridge was nicknamed the Trembling Lady because of the way it moved. Signs on the toll booths warn soldiers from nearby Chelsea Barracks to break step when crossing. It quickly became and remains one of London’s most iconic river crossings.
Just 11 years after Albert Bridge was built, an inspection found that the iron rods already showed serious signs of corrosion.
Over the next three years the staying rods were augmented with steel chains, and a new timber deck was laid.
One hundred years ago in 1926, the Royal Commission on Cross River Traffic in London concluded that Albert Bridge should be knocked down and replaced. It was spared that fate by the Great Depression. Thirty years later the bridge again faced demolition, but public opinion strongly favoured the bridge staying.
In 1973 the now disbanded Greater London Council added two concrete piers to the centre span to strengthen the bridge.