Even rowboats cannot pass beneath it for fear it will collapse.The following information provides some events and dates of those events which were important in the formation of our nation, provided special challenges such as war, and includes our efforts to form a more perfect union.ġ945, Japanese surrendered – end of World War IIġ783, Treaty of Paris signed – end of the Revolutionary Warġ781, Battle of the Capes (Battle of Chesapeake)ġ774, First Continental Congress convenedġ892, Pledge of Allegiance penned by Francis Juilius BellamyĢ001, Patriot’s Day – Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks, Moment of Silence at 8:46amġ814, Star Spangled Banner composed by Francis Scott Keyġ787, Constitution Day – Ratification of the U.S. The Hammersmith Bridge needs a great deal of tender loving care. "It's not really a surprise to me that these structures are under distress … you would expect to have to repair damage to our houses after a storm event, for example." Repair or replace? "We are kind of at a critical juncture," he said. London's bridges are facing a perfect storm, according to Dr Prendergast with an increase in traffic and climate change putting great strain on the ageing structures. "I don't think we would expect to still have Westminster Bridge in place in 1,000 years' time, it probably will have been changed by then and so when you're talking about time scales you need to be a little careful and realistic about what to expect." "A lot of our structures that we have in this part of the world are approaching or have already exceeded what is known as their original life span," Luke Prendergast, an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Nottingham explained, pointing to the unrealistic expectation that bridges are built to last forever. London's iconic Tower Bridge got stuck last August, causing traffic chaos on both sides of the Thames. London Bridge was also temporarily shut while undergoing work.Īnd Tower Bridge caused traffic chaos in August 2020 when its 1,200-tonne bascules - the sections which allow the drawbridge to open - became stuck. Vauxhall Bridge was closed for months last year when it underwent urgent repairs. It is not inconceivable that other bridges could suffer the same fate. "I know of at least one chemotherapy patient who has given up chemo because just doing the journey is too difficult." "There was a survey done recently and 80 per cent of people who responded said the closure of the bridge had had a negative impact on their mental health," Ms Coulter said. The 10-minute jaunt across the bridge with her children to the classroom is a much more arduous bike ride now. "This is a major piece of infrastructure in a major international city, it is humiliating for the UK that you can't even cross a river in the middle of their capital city," Michelle Coulter, another infuriated resident, told the ABC. It is not the residents of Hammersmith who are so deeply inconvenienced, but rather those in Barnes and beyond, in the borough of Richmond-upon-Thames. There are no quick fixes for the Hammersmith Bridge – the repair cost is estimated at around $270 million, which amounts to the entire annual budget of the local council, and it could take up to six years to reopen. "We could see this coming," Mr Gordon-Smith said. He said the bridge had been poorly maintained since the local Hammersmith and Fulham council was given control of the structure during the Thatcher era. Toby Gordon-Smith's commute to work on the other side of the bridge took 10 minutes.
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