23 August: Albert Bridge

Albert Bridge across the river Thames in London opened on this date in 1873. Here are some facts about the bridge.

1. It was Prince Albert himself who suggested that it would be a good idea to build a new bridge between the unsafe wooden Battersea Bridge and the congested Cheslea Bridge.
2. It was originally intended to be a toll bridge. However, charging a toll to cross was a financial failure and the tolls were lifted after six years. The tollbooths are still there, however and are the only bridge tollbooths remaining in London.
3. Albert Bridge is 710 feet (220m) long, 41 feet (12m) wide and 66 feet (20m) high. The road that goes across it is the A3031.
4. It was designed and built by Rowland Mason Ordish in 1873. It took ten years from the original proposal for the necessary legislation and planning to be completed, so while he was waiting, Ordish went to Prague and built the Franz Joseph Bridge over the Vltava in the same design. The Franz Joseph Bridge no longer exists - it was demolished after being damaged during WWII.
5. Albert Bridge, however, remains one of the only two road bridges in London never to have been replaced (the other being Tower Bridge) despite engineers saying in 1974 that it would only last another 30 years. It's now a Grade II Listed Building.
6. Albert Bridge remains open to traffic despite the damage the traffic load continues to do - although there are restrictions in place, so that it is the second least used of the Thames bridges.
7. In 1973, there was a proposal to turn the bridge in to a pedestrianised park. This was supported by local residents, and also by John Betjeman, Sybil Thorndike and Laurie Lee who raised a petition of 2,000 signatures for the bridge to be permanently closed to traffic. However, The Royal Automobile Club, the British Road Federation and Diana Dors campaigned against the proposal and won.
8. It's not just motor vehicles which pose a threat to the bridge. Its proximity to Battersea Park means that many people walk their Dogs over the bridge to get to the park; so another threat to the structure is dog pee causing the timbers to rot. Nevertheless, after the bridge was closed for 22 months for refurbishment and strengthening in 2010/11, its re-opening was marked by two dogs named Prince and Albert, from nearby Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, being walked across the bridge.
9. The bridge is painted Pink, Blue and Green to make it more visible to passing ships in poor light. At night it is illuminated by 4,000 bulbs.
10. Albert Bridge was nicknamed "The Trembling Lady" because of its tendency to vibrate when large numbers of people walked over it. There are signs requesting that troops break step while marching over it.