Albert Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 51°28′56″N0°10′00″W / 51.4823°N 0.1667°W /51.4823; -0.1667 |
| Carries | A3031 road |
| Crosses | River Thames |
| Locale | Battersea andChelsea, London |
| Maintained by | Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council |
| Heritage status | Grade II* listed structure |
| Preceded by | Battersea Bridge |
| Followed by | Chelsea Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Ordish–Lefeuvre system, subsequently modified to an Ordish–Lefeuvre system /suspension bridge /beam bridge hybrid design |
| Total length | 710 feet (220 m) |
| Width | 41 feet (12 m) |
| Height | 66 feet (20 m) |
| Longest span |
|
| No. of spans | 4 (3 before 1973) |
| Piers in water | 6 (4 before 1973) |
| Clearance below | 37 feet 9 inches (11.5 m) atlowest astronomical tide[1] |
| History | |
| Designer | Rowland Mason Ordish,Joseph Bazalgette |
| Opened | 23 August 1873; 152 years ago (1873-08-23) |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 19,821 vehicles (2004)[2] |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Albert Bridge | |
Albert Bridge is aroad bridge over theRiver Thames connectingChelsea on the northbank toBattersea on the south. Designed and built byRowland Mason Ordish in 1873 as anOrdish–Lefeuvre system modifiedcable-stayed bridge, it proved to be structurally unsound, so between 1884 and 1887 SirJoseph Bazalgette incorporated some of the design elements of asuspension bridge. In 1973 theGreater London Council (GLC) added two concretepiers, which transformed the central span into a simplebeam bridge. As a result, today the bridge is an unusual hybrid of three design styles. It is anEnglish Heritage Grade II*listed building.[3]
Built as atoll bridge, it was commercial failure. Six years after its opening it was taken into public ownership and the tolls were lifted. Thetollbooths remained in place and are the only surviving examples of bridge tollbooths in London. Nicknamed "The Trembling Lady" because of its tendency to vibrate when large numbers of people walked over it, the bridge has signs at its entrances that warn troops to break step whilst crossing the bridge.
Incorporating a roadway only 27 feet (8.2 m) wide, and with serious structural weaknesses, the bridge was ill-equipped to cope with the advent of the motor vehicle during the 20th century. Despite many calls for its demolition or pedestrianisation, Albert Bridge has remained open to vehicles throughout its existence, other than for brief spells during repairs. It is one of only two Thames road bridges in central London never to have been replaced (the other isTower Bridge). The strengthening work carried out by Bazalgette and the GLC did not prevent further deterioration of the bridge's structure. A series of increasingly strict traffic control measures have been introduced to limit its use and thus prolong its life. As a result, it is the second-least busy Thames road bridge in London; onlySouthwark Bridge carries less traffic.
In 1992, Albert Bridge was rewired and painted in an unusual colour scheme designed to make it more conspicuous in poor visibility, and avoid being damaged by ships. At night it is illuminated by 4,000LEDs, adding to its status as a landmark.
The historic industrial town ofChelsea on the north bank of theRiver Thames about 3 miles (5 km) west ofWestminster, and the rich farming village ofBattersea, facing Chelsea on the south bank, were linked by the modest woodenBattersea Bridge in 1771.[5] In 1842 theCommission of Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues recommended the construction of anembankment at Chelsea to free land for development, and proposed a new bridge downstream of Battersea Bridge, and the replacement of the latter by a more modern structure.[6] Work on theVictoria Bridge (later renamed Chelsea Bridge), a short distance downstream of Battersea Bridge, began in 1851 and was completed in 1858, with work on theChelsea Embankment beginning in 1862.[7] Meanwhile, the proposal to demolish Battersea Bridge was abandoned.[6]
| Albert Bridge Act 1864 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Citation | 27 & 28 Vict. c. ccxxxv |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 25 July 1864 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The wooden Battersea Bridge had become dilapidated by the mid-19th century. It had grown unpopular and was considered unsafe.[8] The newer Victoria Bridge, meanwhile, suffered severe congestion. In 1860,Prince Albert suggested that a newtollbridge built between the two existing bridges would be profitable,[9] and in the early 1860s, the Albert Bridge Company was formed with the aim of building this new crossing.[10] A proposal put forward in 1863 was blocked by strong opposition from the operators of Battersea Bridge, which was less than 500 yards (460 m) from the proposed site of the new bridge and whose owners were consequently concerned over potential loss of custom.[10] A compromise was reached, and in 1864 a new act of Parliament, theAlbert Bridge Act 1864 (27 & 28 Vict. c. ccxxxv), was passed, authorising the new bridge on condition that it was completed within five years.[11] The act compelled the Albert Bridge Company to purchase Battersea Bridge once the new bridge opened, and to compensate its owners by paying them £3,000 per annum (about £373,000 in 2023) in the interim.[12][13]
Rowland Mason Ordish was appointed to design the new bridge.[10] Ordish was a leading architectural engineer who had worked on theRoyal Albert Hall,St Pancras railway station, theCrystal Palace andHolborn Viaduct.[10] The bridge was built using theOrdish–Lefeuvre system, an early form ofcable-stayed bridge design that Ordish had patented in 1858.[9] Ordish's design resembled a conventionalsuspension bridge in employing aparabolic cable to support the centre of the bridge, but differed in its use of 32 inclinedstays to support the remainder of the load.[14] Each stay consisted of a flatwrought iron bar attached to the bridge deck, and awire rope composed of 1,0001⁄10-inch (2.5 mm) diameter wires joining the wrought iron bar to one of the four octagonal support columns.[15]
Although authorised in 1864, work on the bridge was delayed by negotiations over the proposedChelsea Embankment, for the bridge's design could not be completed until the exact layout of the new roads being built on the north bank of the river had been agreed.[11] Whilst plans for the Chelsea Embankment were debated, Ordish built theFranz Joseph Bridge over theVltava inPrague to the same design as that intended for the Albert Bridge.[16][a]
| Albert Bridge Act 1869 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Citation | 32 & 33 Vict. c. xliv |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 24 June 1869 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Albert Bridge Act 1871 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act to continue and enlarge the powers of the Acts relating to the Albert Bridge Company; and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 34 & 35 Vict. c. lxxiii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 29 June 1871 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Albert Bridge Act 1873 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| |
| Long title | An Act to extend the time limited for the completion of the Bridge and other works authorised by "The Albert Bridge Act, 1864," "The Albert Bridge Act, 1869," and "The Albert Bridge Act, 1871," and to continue and enlarge the powers of such Acts; and for other purposes |
| Citation | 36 & 37 Vict. c. xcvii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 7 July 1873 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
In 1869, the time allowed by the 1864 act to build the bridge expired. Delays caused by the Chelsea Embankment project meant that work on the bridge had not even begun, and a new act of Parliament, theAlbert Bridge Act 1869 (32 & 33 Vict. c. xliv), was required to extend the time limit.[11] Construction finally got underway in 1870, and it was anticipated that the bridge would be completed in about a year, at a cost of £70,000 (about £8.17 million in 2023).[13][16] In the event, the project ran for over three years, and the final bill came to £200,000 (about £22.4 million in 2023).[11][13] It was intended to open the bridge and the Chelsea Embankment in a joint ceremony in 1874, but the Albert Bridge Company was keen to start recouping the substantially higher-than-expected costs, and the bridge opened without any formal ceremony on 23 August 1873, almost ten years after its authorisation.[16] As the law demanded, the Albert Bridge Company then bought Battersea Bridge.[10][17]
Ordish's bridge was 41 feet (12 m) wide and 710 feet (220 m) long, with a 384-foot-9-inch (117.27 m) central span.[12] The deck was supported by 32 rigid steel rods suspended from four octagonalcast iron towers, with the towers resting on cast iron piers.[11] The four piers were cast at Battersea and floated down the river into position, at which time they were filled with concrete; at the time they were the largest castings ever made.[11][16] Unlike most other suspension bridges of the time, the towers were positioned outside the bridge to avoid causing any obstruction to the roadway.[16] At each entrance was a pair oftollbooths with a bar between them, to prevent people entering the bridge without paying.[16]
The bridge acquired the nickname of "The Trembling Lady" because of its tendency to vibrate, particularly when used by troops from the nearbyChelsea Barracks.[18] Concerns about the risks ofmechanical resonance effects on suspension bridges, following the 1831 collapse of theBroughton Suspension Bridge and the 1850 collapse ofAngers Bridge, led to notices being placed at the entrances warning troops to break step (i.e. not to march in rhythm) when crossing the bridge;[19][20][b][c] Although the barracks closed in 2008, the warning signs are still in place.[15]
Albert Bridge was catastrophically unsuccessful financially. By the time the new bridge opened, the Albert Bridge Company had been paying compensation to the Battersea Bridge Company for nine years, and on completion of the new bridge became liable for the costs of repairing the by then dilapidated and dangerous structure.[21] The cost of subsidising Battersea Bridge drained funds intended for the building of wide approach roads, making the bridge difficult to reach.[6] It was located slightly further from central London than neighbouring Victoria (Chelsea) Bridge, and demand for the new bridge was less than expected. In the first nine months of its operation £2,085 (about £245,000 in 2023) were taken in tolls.[13][21]
TheMetropolis Toll Bridges Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. xcix) was passed, which allowed theMetropolitan Board of Works to buy all London bridges betweenHammersmith andWaterloo bridges and free them from tolls.[22] In 1879, Albert Bridge, which had cost £200,000 to build, was bought by the Board of Works along with Battersea Bridge for a combined price of £170,000 (about £21.8 million in 2023).[13][23] The tolls were removed from both bridges on 24 May 1879,[9] but the octagonal tollbooths were left in place, and today are the only surviving bridge tollbooths in London.[24]
In 1884 the Board of Works' Chief Engineer SirJoseph Bazalgette conducted an inspection of the bridge and found that the iron rods were already showing serious signs of corrosion.[18] Over the next three years the staying rods were augmented with steel chains, giving it an appearance more closely resembling a conventional suspension bridge,[15][25] and a new timber deck was laid, at a total cost of £25,000 (about £3.29 million in 2023).[9][13] Despite these improvements Bazalgette was still concerned about its structural integrity, and a weight limit of fivetons was imposed on vehicles using the bridge.[16]
With a roadway only 27 feet (8.2 m) wide and subject to weight restrictions from early on, Albert Bridge was ill-suited to the advent of motorised transport in the 20th century. In 1926 theRoyal Commission on Cross-River Traffic recommended demolition and rebuilding of the bridge to carry four lanes of traffic, but the plan was not carried out because of a shortage of funds in theGreat Depression.[26] It continued to deteriorate, and in 1935 the weight limit was reduced to two tons.[26]
Because of its ongoing structural weaknesses, in 1957 theLondon County Council proposed replacing Albert Bridge with a more conventional design. A protest campaign led byJohn Betjeman resulted in the withdrawal of the proposal, but serious concerns about the integrity of the bridge continued.[18] In 1964 an experimentaltidal flow scheme was introduced, in which only northbound traffic was permitted to use the bridge in the mornings and southbound traffic in the evenings.[16] The bridge's condition continued to deteriorate, however, and in 1970 theGreater London Council (GLC) sought and obtained consent to carry out strengthening work. In April 1972 the bridge was closed for the work to be carried out.[16][27]
_Albert_Bridge%2c_London%2c_from_the_northwest.jpg)
The GLC's solution entailed adding two concrete piers in the middle of the river to support the central span and thus transform the bridge's central section into abeam bridge.[28] The bridge's main girder was also strengthened, and a lightweight replacement deck was laid. The modifications were intended to be a stopgap measure to extend the bridge's life by five years while a replacement was being considered; in the GLC's estimation the work would last for a maximum of 30 years, but the bridge would need to be either closed or replaced well before then.[29]
In early 1973, theArchitectural Review submitted a proposal to convert Albert Bridge into a landscaped public park and pedestrian footpath across the river.[30] The proposal proved very popular with the area's residents, and a May 1973 campaign led byJohn Betjeman,Sybil Thorndike andLaurie Lee raised apetition of 2,000 signatures for the bridge to be permanently closed to traffic.[28] Although the GLC reopened the bridge to traffic in July 1973, it also announced its intention to proceed with theArchitectural Review scheme once legal matters had been dealt with.[28][d]
TheRoyal Automobile Club campaigned vigorously against the pedestrianisation proposal. A publicity campaign fronted by actressDiana Dors in favour of reopening the bridge was launched, whilst a lobbying group of local residents led by poetRobert Graves campaigned in support of the GLC's plan.[18] Graves's campaign collected over a thousand signatures in support, but was vigorously attacked by theBritish Road Federation, who derided the apparent evidence of public support for the scheme as "sending a lot of students around tocouncil flats [where] most people will sign anything without knowing what it is all about".[29] Apublic inquiry of 1974 recommended that the bridge remain open to avoid congestion on neighbouring bridges, and it remained open to traffic with the tidal flow and two-ton weight limit in place.[28]
In 1990, the tidal flow system was abandoned and Albert Bridge was converted back to two-way traffic. Atraffic island was installed on the south end of the bridge to prevent larger vehicles from using it. In the early years of the 21st century the Chelsea area experienced a growth in the popularity of largefour-wheel drive cars (so-calledChelsea tractors), many of which were over the two-ton weight limit; it was estimated that one third of all vehicles using the bridge were over the weight limit.[31] In July 2006 the 27-foot (8.2 m) wide roadway was narrowed to a single lane in each direction to reduce the load.[32] Red-and-white plastic barriers have been erected along the roadway in an effort to protect the structure from damage by cars.[33]
Between 1905 and 1981, Albert Bridge was painted uniformly green; in 1981 it was repainted yellow. In 1992 it was redecorated and rewired.[34] This has added to its status as a London landmark. The bridge is painted in pink, blue and green to increase visibility in fog and murky light and thus to reduce the risks of ships colliding with the fragile structure during the day.[35] At night, a network of 4,000 low-voltagetungsten-halogen bulbs illuminated the bridge. In 1993 the innovative use of long-life low-energy lighting was commended byMary Archer, at the time Chairwoman of theNational Energy Foundation.[19]
Except forTower Bridge, built in 1894, Albert Bridge is the only Thames road bridge in central London never to have been replaced.[11] Intended as a temporary measure to be removed in 1978, the concrete central piers remain in place,[19] and although in 1974 its lifespan was estimated at a maximum of 30 years, the bridge is still standing and operational.[29] The Albert Bridge was protected as a Grade II*listed structure in 1975, granting it protection against significant alteration without consultation.[36] It continues to deteriorate. Although proposals have been drawn up byKensington and Chelsea London Borough Council to repair and rescue it,[33] by March 2008 funds for the repairs were unavailable.[37] As well as structural damage caused by traffic, the timbers underpinning the deck were being seriously rotted by the urine of dogs crossing to and from nearbyBattersea Park.[38][e] With multiple measures in place to reduce traffic flow and prolong the life of the bridge, in 2009 it carried approximately 19,000 vehicles per day, the lowest usage of any Thames road bridge in London other than the little-usedSouthwark Bridge.[39]
The bridge was closed to motor vehicles on 15 February 2010 for refurbishment and strengthening. It was originally expected to remain closed for approximately 18 months,[40] but after the condition of the bridge was found to be worse than expected, it was closed for 22 months.[41] All of the timbers in the decking as well as the footway that had rotted away were replaced, with additional timber added for strengthening. Surfaces at the carriageway and pavement decking were replaced. New steel structures were added to strengthen the bridge. All the lightbulbs were changed to more energy-efficient ones. The tollbooths were refurbished. All twelve layers of paint were stripped down until the bare metal was exposed, which was repaired and treated before three new coats of paint were added. The whole project cost £7.2 million, of which theRoyal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea provided 25%, the other 75% being provided byTransport for London.[42]
It re-opened on 2 December 2011, when two dogs named Prince and Albert, from nearbyBattersea Dogs and Cats Home, walked across the bridge to open it officially. All of theGrade II features were retained.[41]
The Albert Bridge's distinctive and striking current appearance has led to its use as a backdrop for numerous films set in the Chelsea area, such asA Clockwork Orange,Absolute Beginners,Sliding Doors,Maybe Baby[30] andFlack.
