Key Points
- Redbridge Council’s Cabinet has approved an “oven-ready” plan to completely replace the Broadmead Road Bridge in Woodford.
- The bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic since July 2023 due to serious structural defects.
- Full replacement was chosen as the only viable, long-term solution following a detailed technical appraisal.
- The cost is estimated at £80m, an amount far beyond the council’s financial means.
- Redbridge Council is lobbying central Government for funding via the new £1bn Structures Fund and other channels.
- The Council, led by Cllr Kam Rai, is working with Transport for London (TfL), local MPs, and emergency services to secure investment and prioritise the project.
- Residents, businesses, and emergency services are significantly impacted by the closure, according to Council reports and briefings.
- Technical reports and surveys confirm the bridge cannot safely carry vehicles, only pedestrian and cycle traffic under strict limits.
- A public information session and several council meetings have been held, with strong resident turnout and engagement.
- The preferred option and business case will be presented to Government imminently in hopes of securing the needed funds.
Redbridge Council has unveiled a fully developed and “oven-ready” plan for the replacement of Broadmead Road Bridge, stating plainly that construction can only begin when the council secures the £80m necessary to fund the project. The closure of this critical piece of infrastructure has disrupted tens of thousands of residents, commuters, and businesses across North East London since July 2023 — a closure that local leaders say can only end with urgent, external investment.
Why Was Broadmead Road Bridge Closed and What Prompted the Replacement Plan?
As reported by Redbridge Council’s official project updates, Broadmead Road in Woodford was closed to all vehicular traffic in July 2023 after significant structural defects were found during a safety inspection. According to detailed council communications, the road was shut immediately in the interest of public safety
“to prevent potential loss of life or serious injury.”
Subsequent technical surveys confirmed that deterioration was too advanced for simple repairs; only pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists may now cross, under ongoing monitoring and maintenance.
What Has Redbridge Council Done to Address the Crisis?
In coverage published on 18 July 2025 by the Redbridge Council communications team, the Council Cabinet reviewed a comprehensive options appraisal and accepted specialist contractor recommendations favouring a full replacement of the bridge as the most resilient and cost-effective strategy. This decision, according to Council Leader Councillor Kam Rai, marks “an enormous milestone for the council.” Councillors also agreed to intensify efforts to work with Government and TfL to secure funding from national infrastructure schemes.
Cllr Kam Rai, as cited in the Council release, stated:
“We now have an ‘oven-ready’ plan and business case, in the form of the options report presented to us by our specialist contractors. We will now present this to government and our partners to garner their support… Your ward councillors and I were also regular users of the bridge and understand the disruption it causes locally. We, as much as anyone else, want to see a long-term solution delivered quickly and we are committed to doing just that.”
Why Is Funding the Central Challenge?
As reported by Threads and confirmed in multiple council briefings, the cost of replacing the bridge — estimated to be £80m — is significantly higher than the council can finance alone. Redbridge Council has explicitly acknowledged this limitation, saying,
“the cost of full replacement is simply beyond the council’s financial capacity.”
Council officials are now lobbying the central Government for a share of the £1bn Structures Fund, which was recently announced as an investment in critical transport infrastructure across the country. Alongside MPs and partner agencies, Redbridge Council is making the case for their bridge to be an early beneficiary of this fund.
How Has the Bridge Closure Impacted the Community?
Coverage from the Council’s public engagement website details the substantial impact on local residents, businesses, emergency services, and commuters. Businesses in Woodford and the surrounding borough have reported declines in trade, and journeys — including for ambulances and routes to school — have become significantly longer and less predictable. Accessibility remains a major problem for those who rely on the crossing.
At a well-attended public meeting on 30 June 2025, Councillor Rai acknowledged community frustration, saying,
“Reopening the bridge is a huge priority for us, and we’re committed to making it happen as soon as possible… there’s no getting around that this is a hugely complex engineering and financial challenge, and one that will take time to get right.”
What Does the Technical and Options Report Reveal?
Publicly released technical reports, including principal inspection and concrete testing documents, thoroughly assessed the structural weaknesses. The consensus: the bridge can temporarily support limited pedestrian, cycle, and motorcycle traffic, but is unfit for vehicles. The council’s professional advisers produced an options report which concluded that patch repairs would only provide minimal and short-term relief. Full replacement is the only viable, sustainable solution for future-proofing Redbridge’s transport links.
What Are the Next Steps for Redbridge Council?
According to council statements and the project timetable, the next steps are:
- Finalise and deliver the full business case and options report to government and funding partners.
- Continue high-level lobbying with local MPs, central Government, and Transport for London.
- Keep the affected public informed through meetings, online briefings, and published technical updates.
- Monitor the risk to the existing structure and keep pedestrian/cycle traffic safe until works can begin.
Council authorities are emphatic that, without additional national support, the bridge’s future is at grave risk. The official line:
“We will continue to prioritise our fight for funding… We are, with a partnership group (including emergency services) urgently requesting support and are stressing the importance of this structure to local people, and the impact its closure is having on the community in Redbridge.”
What Is the Community Response and Outlook?
Residents and local business leaders have welcomed the clarity of the council plan but have vented strong frustration at the government funding delay. With the business case now complete and the “oven-ready” plan in place, pressure is building on central Government to deliver the capital needed to restore this lifeline for Redbridge.
Council leaders remain optimistic but realistic about the timeline, with construction only to begin once the required finance is committed — and with no quick fix available, the community must wait as the case is made to ministers.
