There has been several bridges at this location with the current one opening in 1969. It is known as the "Blue Bridge".
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South Dock East Entrance Lock Bridges.
The 'Blue Bridge' over the South Dock east entrance lock is the sixth bridge in this position. The 1804–6 timber bridge survived until 1842–3, when it was replaced with a cast-iron swing-bridge supplied by the Butterley Company. This bridge was of the same dimensions as that mounted over the South Dock west entrance in 1836–7. Although flat, it was still closely based on the bridge invented by Walker in 1800.
Widening of the South Dock east entrance lock in 1866–70 necessitated replacement of the 1842–3 bridge. Its successor was one of four single-leaf wrought-iron hydraulic swing-bridges supplied in 1868–9 by the Park Gate Iron Company of Rotherham, to plans by (Sir) John Hawkshaw. Fitted by George Wythes and opened to traffic in 1870, this bridge was 110ft long (spanning 55ft) and 14ft wide overall, with a maximum carrying weight of 40 tons. It had lattice-girder sides and pivoted on a single hydraulic ram. What had come to be known as the Manchester Road bridge was replaced by the LCC with a wider 55ft-span hydraulic swing-bridge. This was the last of the four LCC bridges to be mounted; the Thames Iron Works Company carried out the work in 1896–7.
The Manchester Road bridge had, once again, to be replaced when the South Dock east entrance lock was enlarged in 1927–9. Following representations from Poplar Borough Council, it was decided in 1927 that the new bridge would be positioned outside the outer lock gates, as bridges inside the gates had to remain open for long periods when large ships were locking. This meant the diversion of the road approaches, away from Glen Terrace on the south side. Frederick Palmer prepared plans, and in 1928 Robert McAlpine & Sons subcontracted to the Horseley Bridge & Engineering Company for the design, supply and erection of an electrically operated, double-rolling bascule bridge, of a type invented by William Scherzer in Chicago in the 1890s. The steel lattice-girder bridge was in place by January 1929. It was 156ft long overall (spanning 80ft) and 46ft 4in. wide, taking a maximum load of 52 tons.
Defects in the heavily used bascule bridge necessitated a series of repairs in the 1950s, but by 1965 deterioration of the steelwork was such that £100,000 had to be allocated for overhaul and modification, the need for which was compounded when a vessel collided with the upper leaf. Because the tender from Horseley Bridge & Thomas Piggott was as high as £197,000 for the repairs, complete replacement was considered. After much deliberation, the PLA decided in 1967 that, as the bridge passed over the only operating entrance to the India and Millwall Docks and served as the only road access to the east side of the Isle of Dogs, the cost of a new bridge was justified. Sir William Arrol & Company constructed the bridge at their works in Glasgow and assembled it at a crane-erection yard adjoining the South Dock entrance lock. The 'Blue Bridge' opened on 1 June 1969, having cost £274,500. The bridge, based on traditional Dutch drawbridges, was then the largest single-leaf bascule bridge in Britain, spanning 110ft and 40ft wide. The type was chosen for economy, but also for aesthetic reasons, in recognition of the dominating effect such a 'high' structure would have on the area. Oil hydraulic machinery with variable delivery pumps, supplied by MacTaggart, Scott & Company and based on that adopted for the Glengall Grove high-level footbridge, raises or lowers the bridge in one minute, and is operated from an elevated control cabin. There are motors in the towers driving pinions. The road and cantilevered footways were surfaced in PVC tile sheeting that was replaced in the late 1980s.
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