Hammersmith Bridge was built in 1887 and is one of the most loved and most photographed Thames crossings. It is a Grade II* listed structure.
It has a very high traffic volume for its age, with more than 20,000 vehicles crossing it every day. It was never designed to carry this volume and weight of traffic and the constant vibration from those vehicles damages the bridge and road surface.
It is now time for the bridge to have a full refurbishment. This will include strengthening work and a full resurfacing that will last for many years.
Major repair works to the bridge are expected to start in late 2018.
The bridge has 172 huge bolts, all of which will need inspecting and some may need replacing, as part of the refurbishment.
There are only two bridges like this in the world, the other spans the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary.
Because of this replacement parts and tools – such as the giant spanner being used here – often have to be custom made.