The London Bridge as it stands today was built using concrete and steel and was officially opened to traffic by The Late Queen Elizabeth II on 16 March 1973.
The Modern London Bridge
When people refer to "London Bridge" today, they are typically talking about the bridge completed in the early 1970s. This structure was designed to handle modern traffic loads and replace an older, less suitable bridge.
- Materials: The primary materials used in the construction of the current London Bridge are concrete and steel. These materials provide the strength and durability required for a major urban river crossing.
- Opening Date: Construction was completed, and the bridge was opened to traffic by The Late Queen Elizabeth II on 16 March 1973.
This concrete and steel bridge was built to succeed earlier structures that had spanned the River Thames at this location for centuries.
A Legacy of Bridges
The site of London Bridge has hosted several bridges throughout history. The current structure is the latest in a long line:
- Predecessor 1: It replaced a 19th-century stone arched bridge designed by Scottish civil engineer John Rennie.
- Predecessor 2: Rennie's bridge, in turn, succeeded a much older 600-year-old stone-built structure.
Thus, the construction of the modern London Bridge involved building a new structure from concrete and steel alongside or in place of the previous stone bridge, a process that concluded with its opening in 1973.
