The 133-year-old crossing was
closed in August after cracks in the structure worsened during a heatwave.Procurement for a ferry for pedestrians and cyclists is to begin this week with the service set to start in the new year, government officials said.
The transport secretary said local residents had suffered "for too long".
"I'm pleased to say that, following our funding deal with TfL, alongside the excellent work of our Hammersmith Bridge taskforce, this first step is becoming a reality," Grant Shapps said.
The west London bridge is not expected to reopen fully until 2027 and Mr Shapps said he had "also insisted TfL allocate part of the bailout to examining how the bridge can be brought back into use".
A taskforce to reopen the crossing was set up by the Department for Transport (DfT) in October to work with bodies including Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which owns Hammersmith Bridge, and TfL.
Baroness Charlotte Vere, who is chairing the taskforce, said it had "quickly identified a ferry service as the most rapid solution available in the short-term and that's why we made it part of the TfL deal".
The £1.8bn bailout, which will allow TfL to keep Tube and bus services running until March 2021, was agreed last weekend.
David Rowe, TfL's head of major projects sponsorship, said: "Now that TfL has a funding agreement until next March, we are doing everything possible to ensure a ferry is available to get people across the river as soon as possible."
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November 06, 2020 at 03:23PM
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Hammersmith Bridge replacement ferry 'is bailout condition' - BBC News
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