London Chelsea Bridge ~ The Bridge over troubled Light ~

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London | Architecture | Night Photography

I like photographing Chelsea Bridge because of the texture and lights in its design...

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Chelsea Bridge (formerly Victoria Bridge) is a Grade IIlisted self-anchored suspension bridge over the River Thames in West London, connecting Chelsea on the north bank to Battersea on the south bank. It opened in 1937 and replaced an earlier suspension bridge of 1857 built on the site of an ancient ford.

The first bridge was proposed in the 1840s as part of a major development of marshlands on the south bank of the Thames, to provide convenient access to the newly created Battersea Park. Although built and operated by the government, tolls were charged initially in an effort to recoup the cost of the bridge. Work on the nearby Chelsea Embankment delayed construction and so the bridge, initially called Victoria Bridge, did not open until 1857. Although well received architecturally, as a toll-bridge it was unpopular with the public, and Parliament felt obliged to make it toll-free on Sundays. The bridge was less of a commercial success than had been anticipated, partly because of competition from the newly built Albert Bridge nearby. It was acquired by the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1877, and the tolls were abolished in 1879.

The bridge was narrow and structurally unsound, leading the authorities to rename it Chelsea Bridge to avoid the Royal Family's association with a potential collapse. Unable to handle increased volumes of users caused by population growth in the surrounding area and the introduction of the automobile, in 1926 it was proposed that the bridge be rebuilt or replaced. Between 1934 and 1937 it was demolished and replaced by the current structure. The new bridge was the first self-anchored suspension bridge in Britain, and was built entirely with materials sourced from within the British Empire. During the early 1950s it became popular with motorcyclists, who staged regular races across the bridge. Once such meeting in 1970 erupted into violence, resulting in the death of one man and the imprisonment of 20 others.

In the 1970s Chelsea Bridge was painted bright red and white, prompting a number of complaints from Chelsea F.C. fans that Chelsea Bridge had been painted in Arsenal colours.[32] In 2007 it was redecorated in a less controversial red, blue and white colour scheme.[29] Chelsea Bridge is now floodlit from beneath at night and 936 feet (285 m) of light-emitting diodes strung along the towers and suspension chains,[33] intended to complement the illuminations of the nearby Albert Bridge.[32] Although motorcyclists still meet on the bridge, following complaints from residents about the noise their racing has been curtailed.[29][34]

Chelsea Bridge was declared a Grade II listed structure in 2008, providing protection to preserve its character from further alteration.[35] Battersea Park still retains Cubitt and Pennethorne's original layout and features, including a riverfront promenade, a formal avenue through the centre of the park and multiple animal enclosures.[11]

On the eastern side of the bridge at the southern end a major new residential development of 600 homes called Chelsea Bridge Wharf has been built,[36] as part of long term plans to regenerate the long-derelict former industrial sites around Battersea Power Station

On 31 March 1858 Queen Victoria, accompanied by two of her daughters and en route to the formal opening of Battersea Park, crossed the new bridge and declared it officially open, naming it the Victoria Bridge;[15] it was opened to the public three days later, on 3 April 1858.[12] The design met with great critical acclaim, particularly from the Illustrated London News.[15]

Shortly after its opening, concerns were raised about the bridge's safety. Following an inspection by John Hawkshaw and Edwin Clark in 1861, an additional support chain was added on each side.[14] Despite the strengthening there were still concerns about its soundness, and a weight limit of 5 tons was imposed.[14] At the same time, the name was changed from Victoria Bridge to Chelsea Bridge, as the government was concerned about the reliability of suspension bridges and did not want a potential collapse to be associated with the Queen.[10]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_Bridge

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Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel♫♪♪♫♪♪

London Chelsea Bridge ~ The Bridge over troubled Light ~

Taken in: United Kingdom / England / London / Pimlico (show map)

Taken on: January 30, 2011

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~The Bridge over troubled Light ~

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