Albert Bridge could be shut until 2012

A bridge that has become a symbol of London's roadworks chaos is so plagued by delays that there are fears it could still be shut during the Olympics.

An Evening Standard investigation has revealed that work on Albert Bridge, which started in February and is due to last 18 months, could come to a halt over health and safety concerns.

The problems come as London is set for its worst summer of roadworks, which will see the equivalent of every street in the capital dug up 69 times.

Today there are more than 70 sets of roadworks under way in Kensington and Chelsea on main Transport for London roads alone.

A Thames harbourmaster with the Port of London Authority has told contractors they cannot continue adding to 120ft-high scaffolding on Albert Bridge's towers as to do so may damage boats or injure river users sailing underneath.

Builders had wanted to use security netting and a whistle system to warn workers when a boat approached.

Kensington and Chelsea council hired Interserve Project Services to run the £7.2 million contract to strengthen, refurbish and paint the Grade II-listed Victorian suspension bridge between Battersea and Chelsea.

The work is 75 per cent funded by TfL and the rest by the council.

But project sources said the ban on new scaffolding meant teams were running out of work space.

About 14 scaffolders, three carpenters and several labourers have been sent home or moved to other projects, they added.

One source said: "If it carries on like this, there's no way it will be ready in time for the Olympics and we could be looking at autumn 2012 at least.

"If the problems are resolved quickly, we could pull it back but we're running out of summer months. Before starting a project of this size spanning one of the world's major waterways you would have thought they'd have done their health and safety homework."

Alan Grattan, master of Cadogan Pier, said: "They'll really have to pick up the pace because this delay could cost them millions of pounds more."

The bridge is closed to vehicles, although pedestrian and cycle access is still allowed.

In Monday's Standard, Nicholas Paget-Brown, Kensington and Chelsea's cabinet member for transport, promised that the refurbishment programme was "on track".

However, a council spokesman yesterday repeatedly refused to promise traders and residents that it would be finished within its 18-month schedule.

Only a handful of workers were on site on Monday afternoon. The mainly wooden Albert Bridge bridge, built in 1870, is in such a poor state "you can stick your finger through it in places", said one workman.

The renovation should help the bridge cope better with the 58 million cars driven across it each year, and increase the maximum vehicle weight from 2.5 to 7.5 tonnes.

While it remains closed, small traders in Battersea say they are losing business — and Buchan's restaurant in Parkgate Road has shut.

Biagio Morreale, owner of Uffizi hair salon, said: "There should have been more communication between Kensington and Chelsea and the Port of London Authority before work started."

A PLA spokesman said: "As the safety authority for the tidal Thames, we have to ensure scaffolding which overhangs the river is not a hazard to river users nor to people working on the bridge.

"We approved scaffolding in two bridge arches earlier this year and issued a notice to all river users in March. Work continues as planned on those. Scaffold activity in the other two arches has been temporarily halted."

A council spokeswoman said: "Last week the harbourmaster raised scaffolding issues.

"We suspended this work during discussions with the PLA. This is normal procedure. At no time was the scaffolding deemed unsafe." She said work on the scaffold had restarted.

Interserve is a private finance initiative specialist which also worked on renovating Westminster Bridge.

Brian Mooney, spokesman for the Association of British Drivers, said Albert Bridge was "symbolic" of London's roadworks chaos.

He added: "When TfL and the council shut it they should have planned that every other road and bridge nearby ran smoothly.