London Bridge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Tower Bridge, an iconic symbol of London.

For other uses, see London Bridge (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 51°30′29″N 0°05′16″W

London Bridge
The current London Bridge opened in 1973
Coordinates	51°30′29″N 0°05′16″W
Carries	Five lanes of the A3
Crosses	River Thames
Locale	Central London
Maintained by	Bridge House Estates, City of London Corporation
Characteristics
Design	Prestressed concrete box girder bridge
Total length	269 m (882.5 ft)
Width	32 m (105.0 ft)
Longest span	104 m (341.2 ft)
Clearance below	8.9 m (29.2 ft)
Design life	Modern bridge (1971–present) Victorian stone arch (1832–1968) Medieval stone arch (1176–1832) Various wooden bridges (AD50–1176)
History
Opened	17 March 1973; 42 years ago

London Bridge refers to several historical bridges that have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. This replaced a 19th-century stone-arched bridge, which in turn superseded a 600-year-old medieval structure. This was preceded by a succession of timber bridges, the first built by the Roman founders of London.^[1]

The current bridge stands at the western end of the Pool of London but is positioned 30 metres (98 ft) upstream from previous alignments. The traditional ends of the medieval bridge were marked by St Magnus-the-Martyr on the northern bank and Southwark Cathedral on the southern shore. Until Putney Bridge opened in 1729, London Bridge was the only road-crossing of the Thames downstream of Kingston-upon-Thames. Its importance has been the subject of popular culture throughout the ages such as in the nursery rhyme "London Bridge Is Falling Down" and its inclusion within art and literature.

The modern bridge is owned and maintained by Bridge House Estates, an independent charity overseen by the City of London Corporation. It carries the A3 road, which is maintained by the Greater London Authority.^[2] The crossing also delineates an area along the southern bank of the River Thames, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, that has been designated as a business improvement district.^[3]

Дата добавления: 2015-09-06