London’s ‘disgrace’ has been closed since 2019 and at £250m to fix, it’s a political football no one is taking ownership of, reports Sarah Haque

The Victorian artery was initially built for horse and carriage, but some 22,000 cars and six bus routes were passing over the bridge every day. After millions were spent on stabilisation works, the bridge was reopened to pedestrians and cyclists in 2021. Almost seven years since it was closed to traffic and, crucially, public transport, costs to fully fix the bridge to accommodate cars have ballooned to an eye-watering £250 million.