The present bridge joining Wandsworth Bridge Road and Bridge End Road was completed, a year late but well within the contracted price, by Holloway Brothers to designs by Sir Peirson Frank on 20/09/1940. A reason for the delay in its completion was the difficulty in getting deliveries of steel during the period of its construction. The main span of 300 ft consists of a central 120 ft section suspended between two 90 ft sections cantilevered over the piers. The placement of the seven, high-tensile steel girders when they did arrive is reported to have required the closure of the river to shipping for only 38 minutes. Its building was the responsibility of the local authority of the time, the London County Council. The council had been recommended to replace the old bridge by a Royal Commission in 1926.

The old bridge had been opened 27/09/1873. That had been built by de Burgh & Co. to the designs of Julian Tolme's for the Wandsworth Company. Its history was linked to that of the Albert Bridge and, as for that, the time it took to be built was very long drawn out and the enterprise became something of a financial disaster for the Company's backers. The problems arose from several sources: the initial Act authorising the construction required the Company to pay £150 p.a. to the owners of the Albert Bridge; the Fulham District Board, responsible for the roads on the north side, would not make the necessary improvements to the approaches, so the use of the bridge was much reduced and the Company had to make a major payment to get the improvements; thirdly, in 1877 the Metropolis Toll Bridges Act required the cessation of toll collections on London's bridges, which was followed by the compulsory purchase of the bridge by the Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) ; and, finally, the bridge's cheap construction meant that the new owners, the Metropolitan Board of Works, faced the costs of considerable, urgent repairs. So, the compensation paid by the MBW was based on the income from tolls and was also reduced by the repair bill. The Company asked for £150,000 compensation. They received £53,311.

O/S Co-ords:2598.7555
Source(s):

Thames Crossings. Bridges, Tunnels and Ferries