Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, and is between the Blackfriars Bridge and the Hungerford Bridge.
The first bridge on the site was designed by John Rennie and opened in 1817 as a toll bridge. Before its opening it was known as 'Strand Bridge'. It was nationalised in 1878 and given to the Metropolitan Board of Works, who removed the toll from it. Serious problems were found in its construction and the new owners reinforced it.
By the 1920s the problems had grown increasingly bad, and London County Council decided to demolish and replace it. The new bridge was partially opened in 1942 and completed in 1945. It was the only Thames bridge to have actually been damaged by German bombers during World War II.
The south end of the bridge is the area known as The South Bank and includes the Royal Festival Hall, Waterloo station, Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal National Theatre. The north end passes above the Victoria Embankment where the road joins The Strand and Aldwych alongside Somerset House.
