Hammersmith flyover could be shut for four months

Repairs to the Hammersmith flyover are likely to cost tens of millions of pounds and take up to four months, Transport for London revealed.

Residents and drivers have suffered severe jams since the flyover shut on December 23 for emergency repairs to steel cables holding the structure together. One lane has reopened in each direction but the rest of the fly-over will be closed for months.

At a meeting with residents on Saturday, TfL's David McNeill said: "The road system around Hammersmith is very, very saturated.

"There's a lot of traffic and there's not a lot of spare capacity, particularly in rush hour. Any displaced traffic is likely to cause some disruption, some delays and some congestion."

Trade at shops in affected areas including Hammersmith, Chiswick and Fulham could halve, said Hammersmith MP Andy Slaughter: "People will avoid the whole area if they can."

Ben Morrison, who lives near the A4 in Chiswick, said: "I can't even take the bus because the traffic is so bad."