Bridges No.9 - Waterloo Bridge

Now to the main bend in the Thames within Central London and Waterloo Bridge. Two bridges have crossed the river at this point. The first was designed by John Rennie and opened in 1817. Rennie then went on to design the 1831 London Bridge. Rennie's design consisted of nine arches and was built from ganite. Until a year before its opening the bridge was to be known as Strand Bridge. However, the bridge opened on the second anniversary of the Duke of Wellington's victory at the Battle of Waterloo and the bridge therefore renamed. The bridge was originally private and operate for 61 years as a toll bridge. In 1878 the ownership of the bridge was handed over to Metropolitan Board of Works, the forerunner of London County Council, and the toll was lifted.

But like other original London bridges, there were structural problems. Tidal scour was causing series wear to the foundations, which had only increased following the demolition of the old London Bridge. Reinforcement works were carried out in 1882-84, but by 1923 the central piers had suffered from considerable settlement and the bridge had to be closed. There were vocal support for restoration of the bridge, but London County Council prefered to go ahead with a new bridge. Giles Gilbert-Scott, architect of Bankside and Battersea Power Stations, was appointed to design a replacement.

Work began in 1938, but was delayed by the onset of World War II. However, work did continue during the war years with women workers. The bridge also suffered from German attacks during the war, surprisingly the only bridge to suffer in this way. By 1942 the bridge opened to pedestrians and two lanes of traffic, and was fully opened in 1945. The bridge is the widest of the London bridges.