The bridge, which opened in 1945, carries over 25,000 vehicles daily and connects King’s Strand and Waterloo campuses, could be shut by 2030.
According to a document obtained by Bloomberg, Waterloo Bridge is at risk of closing within the next three years unless urgent repairs are carried out by the council.
Nicknamed the Ladies’ Bridge, it has been listed as a Grade II* building since 1981 and was originally opened in 1817 by the Prince Regent. After its demolition and rebuilding in 1945, 25,000 vehicles now cross it daily, along with thousands more pedestrians and cyclists – many of whom are King’s students.
In the aforementioned document, an inspection of the bridge found cracks of up to 2mm and water damage located within the structure. Westminster City Council, which has jurisdiction over the bridge, has valued the repairs at £6 million. If the repairs aren’t completed by the 2029/2030 financial year, they concluded it is plausible that the bridge will close; if not, it will likely face severe weight restrictions.
From the information provided, it remains unclear whether any future closure would apply to pedestrians, vehicles or both. Nevertheless, a vehicle-only restriction would disrupt the bus routes that run over the bridge and divert traffic to other crossing points, notably Westminster and Blackfriars bridges, whilst a pedestrian restriction would increase travel times for those who depend on the bridge in their daily commute.
For King’s students, the potential closure of the bridge will likely cause a massive inconvenience. The Strand Campus, which hosts subjects within Arts & Humanities, sits on the north side of the river, whereas the Waterloo Campus, where Natural Science and Nursing (amongst other subjects) are taught, sits due south.
Moreover, some courses, such as Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and Politics, Philosophy and Law (PPL), have lectures and seminars on both campuses. If the bridge were to shut, students on these courses would spend considerably longer commuting between them.
For now, the bridge remains open and operating as usual, and no timeline has been laid out for when work is scheduled to begin (if at all).
Speaking to an affected student, Roar heard firsthand that:
For my degree, I have classes at both Strand and Waterloo. I can only imagine the inconvenience caused to future students who won’t have the convenience of Waterloo Bridge. I do sympathise, and I hope that King’s does something about it to accommodate this travesty, but currently, it’s a real shame.
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