Blackfriars Bridge

51.509722222222 - 0.10444444444444Koordinaten: 51 ° 30 '35 " N, 0 ° 6' 16 " W

F1

Main road A201

Thames

The Blackfriars Bridge is a road bridge over the River Thames in London. It connects the City of London on the north side with the Borough of Southwark in the London Borough of Southwark on the south side. It is located right next to the Blackfriars Station and is named after a Dominican monastery (german black friars ) named that once stood in the vicinity. It is owned by Bridge House Estates, a charitable organization of the Corporation of London.

The 281 meter long and 32 meter wide bridge consists of five wrought iron arches and a cast-iron balustrade in the Venetian style. By John Birnie Philip created sculptures recall the former Dominican monks; on the west side are the birds and flowers, on the east side of marine plants and waterfowl. About the bridge carries the main road A201.

History

After a competition Robert Mylne was commissioned to build a new bridge in 1760. The 303 meter long and 13 meter wide bridge was opened in 1769. It consisted of nine semi-elliptical arches of Portland limestone. In the beginning was the bridge William Pitt Bridge ( after the then Prime Minister William Pitt), but was renamed during the opening at Blackfriars Bridge. First still had to be paid tolls. However, the toll booths were attacked and looted during the Gordon Riots of 1780, which in 1785 led to the abolition of bridge duty.

The advancing with the flood of salt water and the water of the polluted River Fleet caused by the time significant damage to the limestone arches. Finally, the bridge was torn down in 1860 and replaced them provisionally by a temporary bridge at the same location.

The existing bridge was built today under the direction of Joseph Cubitt, simultaneously with the immediately adjacent Blackfriars Railway Bridge. The official opening took place on November 6, 1869 by Queen Victoria. Due to the ever-increasing traffic, the bridge 1907-1910 had to be widened by eleven meters.

On June 18, 1982, the famous Italian banker Roberto Calvi was found hanged under the bridge.

Photovoltaic project

The bridge has a "roof " of 4,400 solar modules ( 6,000 m²) since 2014. This is to be generated and used for railway operations annually 900 000kWh electricity. Thus, half of the electricity needs of the nearby Blackfriars station would be covered and saved 511 tonnes of CO2.