MP Claims Bridge Closure 'Creating Accident Blackspots'

Fleur Anderson makes comments as government unveils road-safety overhaul

Fleur Anderson (right) says bridge being shut to motor traffic has created more risk for cyclists and pedestrians

January 23, 2026

Putney MP Fleur Anderson has warned that the long-running closure of Hammersmith Bridge is turning key routes in Putney into “accident blackspots”, as she welcomed the Labour Government’s first national Road Safety Strategy in more than a decade.

The strategy, billed by ministers as a long-overdue reset after years of stalled progress, comes amid stark national figures showing that four people are killed on England’s roads every day, with thousands more suffering life-changing injuries. Campaigners have described the past decade as “a lost decade” for road safety, with casualty numbers plateauing despite advances in vehicle technology.

While the national strategy sets the direction for the next decade, she claimed that Putney residents are already living with daily risks exacerbated by the closure of Hammersmith Bridge.

Two fatal incidents in the past 18 months have intensified local concern: the death of a cyclist near the junction of West Hill and Lytton Grove in November 2024, and the death of a pedestrian struck by a lorry near East Putney station in May 2025. It is contended that these tragedies reflect a wider pattern of rising danger on roads that have absorbed displaced traffic from the closed bridge.

According to Ms Anderson, Putney High Street, Putney Bridge and surrounding junctions are now experiencing “dangerous levels of congestion”, with heavy vehicles and rat-running traffic creating conditions that residents describe as “daily hazards”.

“The unresolved situation at Hammersmith Bridge has turned local roads into congestion hotspots and heightened the risk of serious collisions,” she said. “Our community cannot keep bearing the impact of this long-running closure.”

The new strategy sets out a sweeping package of reforms aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries. Measures include tougher penalties for dangerous driving, a consultation on lowering the drink-drive limit, a strengthened crackdown on drug-driving, and major reforms to driver training and testing. Ministers are also proposing a minimum learning period for new drivers, mandatory high-tech safety features in all new cars, updated road-design standards and an overhaul of national speed-limit guidance.

A new Road Safety Investigation Branch will be established to examine the causes of serious collisions, mirroring the approach used in aviation and rail.

Ms Anderson said the plan “can’t come a moment too soon”, arguing that previous governments had failed to maintain momentum on casualty reduction. “This new strategy finally puts saving lives back at the heart of transport policy,” she said. “It strengthens protections for pedestrians and cyclists, raises safety standards for drivers, and sets out the long-term action we need to make our streets genuinely safer.”

The MP argues that the bridge’s closure is no longer just a transport inconvenience but a direct contributor to road-safety risks. She says local businesses, schools and residents have repeatedly raised concerns about increased journey times, heavier traffic flows and more aggressive driving behaviour on diversion routes.

Ms Anderson is urging residents to join her at a rally at the Barnes end of Hammersmith Bridge at 2pm on 24 January, calling for urgent repairs and a full reopening to traffic.

“I want as many local people as possible to join me and make it clear that Putney must benefit from this renewed national focus on road safety,” she said. “I’ll keep fighting until it does.”