London Bridge in 1616. Drawing by Claes Van Visscher.
Yesterday’s terror attack on London Bridge follows by about two and a half months a similar attack on Westminster Bridge, four bridges east of London Bridge. Thirty-three bridges span the River Thames in Greater London. The most famous is Tower Bridge. The bridge that was taken down and rebuilt in Arizona is not the Tower Bridge near the Tower of London, but an earlier version of the London Bridge attacked last night. That London Bridge was sold at auction to the founder of a planned community in Arizona. The first London Bridge was built in A.D. 50 and (according to Wikipedia) rebuilt in 1209 and 1831. The just-victimized London Bridge replaced the 1831 bridge in 1973, after it was found to be sinking into the riverbed of the Thames.
In fact, the old ditty “London Bridge Is Falling Down” does relate to the instability of the bridge that was rebuilt in Arizona. It had been considered “at risk” for centuries. The song has been traced back to the 17th century. In those days, London Bridge had buildings lining the span. Many states, such as Rhode Island, hyperventilate with regularity that their bridges are at risk of falling down. All bridges are at risk of falling down, especially since bridge engineers use computers these days to calculate the strength requirement of bridges before they are built. (Today’s engineers may be more likely to think they could figure out those requirements exactly, whereas old bridges were engineered with a superabundance of strength because professional humility made for a commendable degree of caution.) I officially raise my eyebrows at Wikipedia’s assertion that the first London Bridge lasted from A.D. 50 to A.D. 1209, or that the latter stood until 1831.
In 2016 a New York City-based artist, Leo Villareal, who designed the lighting for the San Francisco Bay Bridge, was chosen to light up the 17 Thames bridges of central London. A video of his plan, which seems encouragingly subdued, avoiding the gaudy effects one might reasonably fear in a huge project of “the arts,” is on the Thames Leisure website.
The primary bridges of central London. (workflow.arts.ac.uk)
Photo of the Thames showing major spans. Tower Bridge is the bottom. (Wikipedia)
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