Chiswick Bridge
| Chiswick Bridge | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Coordinates | 51°28′23″N 0°16′11″W / 51.47306°N 0.26972°WCoordinates: 51°28′23″N 0°16′11″W / 51.47306°N 0.26972°W |
| Carries | A316 road |
| Crosses | River Thames |
| Locale | Mortlake and Chiswick |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Deck arch bridge |
| Material | Reinforced concrete, Portland stone |
| Total length | 606 feet (185 m) |
| Width | 70 feet (21 m) |
| Longest span | 150 feet (46 m) |
| No. of spans | 5 |
| Piers in water | 2 |
| Clearance below | 39 feet (12 m) at lowest astronomical tide |
| History | |
| Designer | Sir Herbert Baker and Alfred Dryland |
| Constructed by | Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company |
| Opened | 3 July 1933 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 39,710 vehicles (2004) |
Chiswick Bridge is a reinforced concrete deck arch bridge over the River Thames in west London. One of three bridges opened in 1933 as part of an ambitious scheme to relieve traffic congestion west of London, it carries the A316 road between Chiswick on the north bank of the Thames and Mortlake on the south bank.
Built on the site of a former ferry, the bridge is 606 feet (185 m) long and faced with 3,400 tons of Portland stone. At the time of its opening its 150-foot (46 m) central span was the longest concrete span over the Thames. The bridge is possibly best known today for its proximity to the end of The Championship Course, the stretch of the Thames used for the Boat Race and other rowing races.
The villages of Chiswick and Mortlake, about 6 miles (9.7 km) west of central London on the north and south banks of the River Thames, had been linked by a ferry since at least the 17th century. Both areas were sparsely populated, so there was little demand for a fixed river crossing at that point.
With the arrival of railways and the London Underground in the 19th century commuting to London became practical and affordable, and the populations of Chiswick and Mortlake grew rapidly. In 1909 the Great Chertsey Road scheme was proposed, which envisaged building a major new road from Hammersmith, then on the outskirts of London, to Chertsey, 18 miles (29 km) west of central London, bypassing the towns of Kingston and Richmond. However, the scheme was abandoned due to costs and arguments between various interested parties over the exact route the road should take.
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