Maths is not my best subject so bear with me, I wont be offended should anyone point out a fundamental flaw in my calculations.Here's a plan.Hammersmith Bridge is estimated to cost £120m to repair according to a BBC news report from last September. The Euromillions jackpot on Friday is £126. Should I win it I could offer to pay the repair costs and live of the remaining £6m quite happily, were I completely altruistic. However, I would want in return a toll of £3 per vehicle. This would mean after 6 years I would be in profit by around £11m (under 10% interest on what is effectively a loan sounds pretty reasonable to me). I would also insist that after the repayment period the toll should remain in place for a further 6 years to build a trust fund to maintain the bridge in perpetuity. At the end of this period the bridge would be free once more.My preferred option however, should they agree to this funding, would be that the bridge be replaced with a new fit-for-purpose bridge. Might even be cheaper than repairs and the traffic flow would be highly improved. The money saved but the useless councils could pay for the bridge to be re-erected somewhere else as a tourist attraction and footbridge.I acknowledge that the somewhat significant stumbling block of choosing the correct numbers. Fingers crossed.
Freddie Francis ● 2266d