The City of London Corporation’s maintenance and waterproofing programme for London Bridge has completed almost four weeks ahead of schedule.
Lord Mayor of London William Russell visited the rejuvenated river crossing and met with contractors to mark the completion of the substantial upkeep works.
Since mid-March, London Bridge was shut to all traffic except buses, licensed taxis, cyclists and pedestrians, with all other road users diverted to nearby bridges.
The maintenance was able to continue throughout the national COVID-19 lockdown, with engineers keeping safe by following strict additional safety measures and adapting to new ways of working.
The scheduled work was to replace 24 original bearings and the original protective waterproofing layer under the road surfacing.
The Lord Mayor said: “This vital work has ensured London Bridge remains operational for years to come.
“It goes without saying that to complete extensive maintenance ahead of schedule is a fantastic result, but to do so during a global pandemic is exceptional.
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“Our greatest thanks to contractors FM Conway who showed the utmost flexibility and dedication, as well as to all local businesses and residents who were patient and supportive of the maintenance programme.
“It is a true feat to have completed such technical and demanding works to this structure under radical new ways of working, including the need to remain socially distant from all others on site.”
Matt Smith, FM Conway Structures Director, said: “We are delighted to have completed the works ahead of schedule especially during one of the greatest challenges we have all faced in recent history.
“London Bridge is a prestigious and busy crossing and although the bridge remained closed to most traffic, our teams worked hard to ensure that works continued whilst access remained open to approved road users and pedestrians.
“Our unique self-delivery model really came to fruition at this time as our structures, surfacing and traffic management teams all supported with the successful cohesive delivery. Great work to all those involved.”
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