London's 'wobbly' footbridge to close for urgent repairs

London's “wobbly” footbridge, which spans the River Thames, will be shut for three weeks for urgent maintenance work.

The closure of the Millennium Bridge will enable the replacement of a layer which separates its steel structure from its aluminium deck, the footbridge’s owners, City Bridge Foundation, said.

Round-the-clock work to complete the repair will begin when the bridge shuts on October 14, for what is believed to be at least its fourth closure.

The steel suspension bridge, which links St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London with the Tate Modern gallery on the south bank of the Thames, opened in 2000.

It quickly earned the "wobbly bridge" nickname because of the alarming way it swayed and vibrated when large numbers of people crossed it.

The bridge was closed for repairs days later, reopening in 2002 after shock-absorbers were fitted to reduce movement.

The new issue is reportedly unrelated to the previous wobbling problem.

City Bridge Foundation chairman Giles Shilson said the well-used crossing, which opened to mark the new millennium, is "starting to show its age".

A crowd of pedestrians on the Millennium Bridge in London, with Tate Modern in the background. Getty Images

He said: "The separation layer under the bridge deck has started to degrade, which means it's having an adverse effect on the bridge deck and needs addressing urgently.

"Replacing this layer is a time-consuming process, meaning we have no option but to close the bridge for three weeks and to work round the clock to get it done as quickly as possible.

"We're sorry for any inconvenience but hope people will understand we do need to do this work, and will see the benefits after we give the bridge a much-needed deep clean that will leave it looking as good as new."

The bridge is to close at 8am on October 14 and reopen on November 5. Pedestrians will be diverted to other routes that take them over Southwark Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge.

What it means to be a conservationist

Who is Enric Sala?

Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.

What is biodiversity?

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.