
London Bridge - 1973 - London, England, UK
Posted by:
Metro2
N 51° 30.392 W 000° 05.298
30U E 702060 N 5710175
This is the modern London Bridge..not to be confused with the old one which was moved to Arizona in the USA.
Waymark Code: WME88W
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/17/2012
Views: 12
This bridge date stone is actually a plaque set on a tall concrete plinth near the pedestrian entrance to the bridge. The plinth also has a sculpture of a griffin holding a shield.
The plaque reads:
"CITY OF LONDON
LONDON BRIDGE
REBUILT 1967-1973 BY
THE CORPORATION OF LONDON
FROM BRIDGE HOUSE ESTATE FUNDS
HAROLD KNOX KING C.E.E., ...
CITY ENGINEER
CONSULTING ENGINEERS - MOTT, HAY & ANDERSON
CONSULTING ARCHITECTS - WILLIAM HOLFORD & PARTNERS
CONTRACTORS - JOHN MOWLEM & COMAPNY LIMITED"
Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"The current London Bridge was designed by architect Lord Holford and engineers Mott, Hay and Anderson. It was constructed by contractors John Mowlem and Co from 1967 to 1972, and opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 March 1973. It comprises three spans of prestressed-concrete box girders, a total of 928 feet (283 m) long. The cost of £4 million (£42.1 million as of 2012), was met entirely by the Bridge House Estates charity. The current bridge was built in the same location as Rennie's bridge, with the previous bridge remaining in use while the first two girders were constructed upstream and downstream. Traffic was then transferred onto the two new girders, and the previous bridge demolished to allow the final two central girders to be added.
In 1984, the British warship HMS Jupiter collided with London Bridge, causing significant damage to both ship and bridge. On Remembrance Day 2004, various London bridges were furnished with red lighting as part of a night-time flight along the river by wartime aircraft. London Bridge was the one bridge not subsequently stripped of the illuminations, which are switched on at night. The current London Bridge is often shown in films, news and documentaries showing the throng of commuters journeying to work into The City from London Bridge Station (south to north). A recent example of this is actor Hugh Grant crossing the bridge north to south during the morning rush hour, in the 2002 film About a Boy. On Saturday 11 July 2009 an 'Anniversary Fayre' of activities involving the Livery Companies and the Guildable Manor and also hosting a 'sheep drive,' took place to commemorate the 800th Anniversary of the Colechurch Bridge's completion. In vaults below the southern abutment of the bridge is 'The London Bridge Experience.'"