Vauxhall Bridge

Vauxhall Bridge is a five-span steel arch bridge built between 1904 and 1906, designed by Sir Alexander Binnie and Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice, the chief engineers of the London County Council. The bridge incorporates sculptural work by Frederick Pomeroy RA and Alfred Drury RA.

The bridge measures 231.6 metres in length, comprising five spans: a central span of 45.4 metres, two intermediate spans of 43.9 metres, and two shore spans of 39.6 metres. The carriageway is 15.2 metres wide, incorporating a double tram track in the centre and capable of carrying four lanes of road traffic. Two footways flank the carriageway.

The superstructure is constructed entirely of steel and iron, consisting of five two-pinned arches, each formed from thirteen steel ribs bearing on steel skewbacks built into the abutments or resting on the piers. The steel plate decking, where it does not rest directly on the ribs or pier framing, is carried on longitudinal joists supported on stanchions standing on the ribs. The piers and abutments are constructed from concrete faced with granite. The foundations consist of solid Portland cement concrete cased in sheet-piling.

The bridge's distinctive ornamental character is provided by eight female bronze figures positioned on the piers, representing the functions of local government. On the downstream side, Drury's figures represent Government, Education, Fine Art, and Science or Astronomy. On the upstream side, Pomeroy's figures represent Agriculture (holding a shepherd's crook and sheaf of corn), Architecture (holding a model of St Paul's Cathedral), Engineering (holding a detailed steam engine and mallet), and Pottery (holding a vase). The bridge is painted in burgundy and orange, with blue and white trim.

The contractors were Messrs. Pethick Bros for the piers and foundations, and Mr Charles Wall for the superstructure. Vauxhall Bridge was opened in 1906 by the Prince of Wales, later King George V, and cost £466,725. It was the first bridge to carry trams across the Thames.

This bridge replaced an earlier structure known as Regent's Bridge, completed in 1816 and the first iron bridge to span the Thames. That bridge consisted of nine cast iron arch spans of 23.8 metres each on masonry piers, built to a design by Sir S Bentham as modified by James Walker. Initially tolled to finance the Vauxhall Bridge Company's investment, the tolls were abolished in 1879. Following the removal of the Old London Bridge in 1831, altered tidal flow caused the water level to lower, and Vauxhall Bridge subsequently suffered from tidal scours and required repeated repairs. These eventually became too expensive to justify, and in 1879 the bridge was transferred to the Metropolitan Board of Works. By 1894, their successors, the London County Council, determined that replacement was necessary due to increasing traffic and the need for improved approaches and waterways. Demolition began in 1898, with a temporary wooden bridge erected during construction. Although authorised under an 1895 Act, construction of the new bridge did not commence until 1904.

The bridge has undergone some recent alterations, particularly to the parapets, but retains its visual and structural integrity. Archaeological evidence suggests that a crossing has existed at or near this site for approximately 3,500 years. In 1998, the Thames Archaeological Survey discovered the remains of an oak crossing dated to around 1500 BC, which may not have spanned the entire Thames but could have been a walkway to a now submerged island.