Putney Bridge breakup latest

In politics, timing is everything. Just two days after I received a reply from the council telling me that "works have been successful in reducing water egress, and therefore the problem of potholes should reduce", anyone who has been across Putney Bridge today will see how wide of the mark those claims are:







Two of the potholes above are, again, recently repaired: and yet again I question how cost-effective repeatedly calling out contractors to tackle (not very successfully) one-off potholes when it's clear the bridge needs increasingly urgent, serious repair.

And just look at this photo too - a steel plate put down three or four months ago, again as a stopgap instead of a proper, satisfactory repair - already coming loose:



And these photos, also taken earlier today, show an array of fissures about to open up, including one crack that now runs right across the apex of the bridge:







This Conservative neglect of Putney Bridge can't go on. The bridge is in an appalling state - it's really dangerous for cyclists, it doesn't do car suspensions any good, it looks like no-one cares a jot about Putney and it is emblematic of the complete lack of local leadership we have from the Tories here.

They've been in power for over thirty years: anyone would become complacent after that long - but it's not good for Putney.

I've reported - again - these problems with Putney Bridge. Here's the reply I received two days ago from the council:


Thank you for the email to Mr Myers informing him of the carriageway defects on Putney Bridge which has been passed to me to reply to. The defects you mentioned were repaired on the 6th November.

Works have been carried out to the structure of the bridge to improve 'weep hole' drainage from within internal galleries. The aim is to ensure that water cannot build up and then exit via the road surface causing the carriageway surface to break up. Whilst early indications are that these works have been successful in reducing water egress, and therefore the problem of potholes should reduce, it is still too early to be sure that this is an effective solution.

Concerns remain about the water mains being defective, although Thames Water are adamant that they have cured the leaks. There still is evidence of water within the bridge structure, but it is not possible to identify precisely where it is coming from.

At the current time we are in a period of monitoring. The success of the recent works is being evaluated and further checks on water ingress will be carried out. The carriageway surface is being regularly checked as there is some evidence of de-lamination taking place between the layers of road surface and underlying base courses. It is likely that further large scale works to the carriageway surface will be required in future although it is hoped that the existing surface will last over the winter period. Minor carriageway defects will continue to be repaired quickly.

Please do not hesitate to contact me again if you require any further information.

Yours sincerely

Assistant Head of Operational Services