Bridges No.16 - Albert Bridge

On the downstream end of Battersea Park is the impressive Albert Bridge and comes close with Tower Bridge as one of London's most beautiful. At night it takes on a different look when it is floodlit, with lights along all of the cables as well.

The building of Albert Bridge was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1864, but construction work was delayed and the bridge did not open until 1873. It was designed by Roland Mason Ordish as a cantilever bridge. Each half of the bridge was supported by the cables radiating from the top of the supporting towers. Tolls of initially charged as the bridge was in private hands. The small toll booths are still in place at both ends of the bridge to this day. However, alongwith many of the other 19th century built bridges, ownership passed to the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1879.

The great Victorian enginner, Sir Joseph Bazalgette, who oversaw the development of a new sewage system for London under the Victoria Embankment, undertook strengthing work to the bridge in 1884. This work changed the nature of the bridge and structurally became more like a suspension bridge. A 5 ton weight limit was also put in place.

But after WWII the bridge was beginning to weaken as modern transportation became heavier. At one stage London County Council considered demolishing the bridge, but conservationist won the day and the bridge was saved. So unusally for a London bridge, despite some structural concerns, the Albert Bridge has never been replaced.

In 1973 two concrete piers were put in place in the centre of the bridge to provide additional support for the roadway. At the same time the weight limit was reduced to 2 tons which is still in place today.

Concerns about the bridge also continue, and only a few days ago the Evening Standard were reporting new weight limit restrictions that Kensington & Chelsea Borough Council are to put in place. This will reduce the northbound traffic down to one lane in order the restrict the number of vehicles on the bridge at any one time. If this fails to address the engineer's concerns the council may even close the bridge off to all northbound traffic. Amusingly the Standard reported that the finger of blame was being pointed at the growing use of large 4x4 vehicles or the 'Chelsea Tractors', some makes of which are well in excess of the 2 ton limit.