Work is due to start this morning on removing the central span of Temple Bridge.
The footbridge, upstream of Marlow, has been closed since 2023 when it was suddenly deemed to be unsafe.
The work should take about a week.
However, no decision has been made about restoration or rebuilding and there is certainly no funding currently available.
The cost of this week’s dismantling may be as much as £300,000. Full replacement could potentially cost around £2.5million.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is expected to eventually meet the major part of the cost with possible contributions from Oxfordshire County Council and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
An indication of a way forward could be made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in next year’s Budget after final costings are made available.
The bridge, replacing a ferry lost in 1953, is a vital link in the Thames Path. The current diversion via Bisham involves walking along a narrow and unpleasant main road.
The closed crossing, a 267 foot West African hardwood single span, is only 36 years old which has raised questions about a possible lack of maintenance.
Environment Secretary Virginia Bottomley performed the opening ceremony eight years ahead of the Thames Path inauguration.