Foster + Partners' Millenium Bridge in London Source:&nbsp ShutterstockThe refurbishment of Foster + Partners Millennium Bridge has been delayed by a year after the owners were unable to find a contractor to do the work The central London Thames crossing needs resurfacing, its cables need to be retensioned and all of its steel needs to be repainted. Work was initially due to begin this spring during the bridges 25th anniversary year.But the 3.5 million job has not garnered sufficient interest from contractors, according to owners the City Bridge Foundation.Now they have split the work into two parts, with the redecking and repainting separated from the retensioning of cables.AdvertisementPutting the job out to tender again means that the work wont be done until 2026 at the earliest.Contractors will also have to find a way to minimise disruption to people traversing the bridge, which links the City of London and the South Bank. The closest landmarks on either side of the crossing are St Pauls Cathedral and the Tate Modern gallery.The bridge was completed to designs by Foster + Partners and Arup in June 2000 but almost immediately closed for 18 months due to lateral movement caused by synchronised footfall.After its disastrous start, the crossing was reopened to the public in February 2002 with significant modifications, including tuned mass dampers to reduce vertical and horizontal vibrations and viscous dampers to resist sway movements.Announcing the refurbishment tender in January this year, the City Bridge Foundation suggested that the bridge might become unsafe if the work were not done soon.AdvertisementThe foundation added in a statement: Owing to high footfall over the bridge, the slip-resistance of the top surface of the deck has reduced and in some places the texture has completely worn away.The project will introduce a new surface coating to each deck plank to improve this slip-resistance.The City Bridge Foundation is a 900-year-old charity which manages London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge and Southwark Bridge, as well as the Millennium Bridge. Its sole trustee is the City of London Corporation. Source:Dafinka/ShutterstockThe Millennium Bridge2025-03-25Richard Waitecomment and share