Restored Brentford Bridge Officially Reopened
Partners in the refurbishment attend ribbon-cutting ceremony
Children from The Green School help with the proceedings
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The restored Brentford Bridge has been officially reopened with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The steel and concrete structure, which was built in 1818 at a location where there has been a bridge since Roman times, has been fully repaired, cleaned and repainted.
The works are a result of a project commissioned by the London Borough of Hounslow, in partnership with the London Wildlife Trust, the Canal & River Trust, Holiday Inn Brentford, JCDecaux, Hounslow Highways, Octink and The Green School Trust.
Showing off their artistic skills, pupils from nearby Green School for Boys and Girls have adorned the structure with their artwork which reflects the history of the area and local wildlife.
With the support from London Wildlife Trust, invasive plant species such as Japanese knotweed, buddleja, dead trees, encroaching scrub and much litter has been removed, enabling the underlying flora and fauna to flourish, as well as clear the obstructions along the canal bank for boaters passing by.
The canal bank surrounding the bridge has been transformed from a wasteland with litter, and cleared by staff volunteers from nearby business, JCDecaux.
Partners from the project gathered on the bridge on Friday, 8 October and heard speeches of thanks.
The Leader of Hounslow, Councillor Steve Curran, said, “A huge thank you to everyone who has helped with this fabulous project, especially the pupils whose artwork looks so impressive. We have preserved a crucial and historic transport link, increased biodiversity in the area and made the riverbank an attractive destination for the local community and visitors.
“The bridge has never looked better and it’s a fitting tribute to its long history in the borough.”
Gordon Scorer, Chief Executive Officer of London Wildlife Trust said, “We are delighted to have played a key role in restoring and enhancing the land by the Brentford Bridge, including helping the reedbed to recover, so it can provide an important refuge for birds in the future. That a pair of mute swans nested in spring this year is, I believe, testimony to these improvements. We intend to complete our work here with the installation of a kingfisher nesting bank later in the autumn.”
Located on the A315 arterial route into London, the bridge provides a strategic crossing of the River Brent and Grand Union Canal with a two-lane carriageway heavily used by pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles each day.
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October 12, 2021
