Constructed in 1831, the London Bridge used to span the River Thames in London. In a remarkable feat of engineering and logistics, it was dismantled in England and reassembled in the United States in 1971. Designed by Sir John Rennie, the five-arched granite bridge had served as a vital crossing for over a century.
Decline and Sale of the Original Bridge
The bridge was the busiest point in London, and one of its most congested in 1896. However, by the mid-20th century, it was no longer sturdy enough to withstand the city’s growing traffic. It was sold by the City of London in 1968 to make way for its replacement.
An Unlikely Buyer: Robert P. McCulloch
The bridge was purchased by the Missourian entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch, the founder of Lake Havasu City in Arizona. McCulloch envisioned the bridge as a centrepiece for his newly founded city.
Each granite block of the London Bridge was marked, dismantled, and shipped through the Panama Canal to California.
Reassembly in the Arizona Desert
From there, the pieces were trucked to Arizona, where they were used to construct a new, hollow-core steel-reinforced concrete structure, ensuring that the bridge would support the weight of modern traffic.
A Testament to Engineering and Ingenuity
The London Bridge in the USA was not rebuilt over a river, but was put up on land between the main part of the city and Pittsburgh Point. Once completed, a construction company dredged a canal under the bridge.
The bridge stands today as a unique blend of British history and American enterprise. A structure that once spanned the river Thames now stands over the Bridgewater Channel, an artificial, navigable waterway, serving as a testament to human ingenuity.
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