Blackfriars Bridge refurbishment to restore Victorian detail without closing the crossing
Blackfriars Bridge refurbishment work is set to begin in late October, with the City Bridge Foundation starting a three-year programme to finish restoration of the 156-year-old crossing. The charity says the Blackfriars Bridge refurbishment will focus on long-term protection and a return to “Victorian splendour”, while keeping the bridge open to traffic.
The project is costed at just under £10.8m and will complete repairs to more than 2,000 cast-iron balusters, repaint remaining spans and add gilded embellishments where appropriate. Work is scheduled to run from 22 October to 21 October 2027, with the option to extend into 2028.
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Fran Heathcote, chair of the City Bridge Foundation’s policy and resources committee Deputy Paul Martinelli, said the programme would be
“carried out at no cost to the taxpayer”.
He added that finishing the Blackfriars Bridge refurbishment would “not only improve its appearance, but also protect the structure of the bridge and extend its lifespan”.
The foundation said there will be no significant closures to carriageways or footways. Occasional off-peak lane closures may be needed for deliveries and access. Blackfriars Railway Bridge is unaffected.
Phase one of the restoration finished in 2023 after delays linked to the Tideway super-sewer works on the Thames. Phase two has been awarded to Taziker Industrial, working with FM Conway and Alltask, the same team that delivered the first stage.
The City Bridge Foundation owns and maintains five Thames crossings: Blackfriars, Tower, Southwark, Millennium and London Bridge. The charity dates back to the late 11th century, established to look after London Bridge. Historic records show a succession of bridges at the Blackfriars site, with the current structure opening in the 1860s and later widened in 1909. Government data shows around 15,500 motor vehicles used the crossing each day in 2021.
For readers interested in the bridge’s architectural status, see the official listing at this underlined link: Historic England list entry for Blackfriars Bridge.
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[Image Credit | Illuminated River]
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