Albert Bridge to reopen next week - date announced

Albert Bridge will reopen at the beginning of December after repairs that have lasted nearly two years.

It will reopen to traffic on Friday December 2nd following major strengthening and refurbishment work.

Wandsworth's transport spokesman Councillor Russell King said:

"The closure has had an undeniable effect on businesses in the area, many of which have suffered a loss of trade. They will be mightily relieved that the disruption is coming to an end."

He added that the reopening was also likely to relieve traffic congestion along Battersea Park Road.

The bridge was originally due to reopen in September but the repairs took longer than originally thought because of worse than expected corrosion and damage to the Victorian structure.

When Kensington and Chelsea's engineers took up the timber decking and exposed its cast iron girders they found substantial corrosion and many more sections needing to be cut out and replaced than had been anticipated.

Repairs to the picturesque bridge, which first opened in 1873, involved more than 10,000 new bolts, 40,000 litres of paint and 1,000 tonnes of grit which was used to blast off the old paintwork.

The bridge is owned, managed and maintained by The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.