Description
The current London Bridge is only the latest of several bridges to bear the name of "London Bridge."
In 1962, London Bridge was falling down. Built in 1831, the bridge couldn't handle the ever-increasing flow of traffic across the Thames River. The British government decided to put the bridge up for sale, and Robert McCulloch, Founder of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and Chairman of McCulloch Oil Corporation, submitted the winning bid of $2,460,000.
The bridge was dismantled, and each stone was numbered. Everything was shipped 10,000 miles to Long Beach in California and then trucked to Lake Havasu City, where bridge was reconstructed.
The current London Bridge was designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson. The bridge was constructed by contractors John Mowlem and Co from 1967 to 1972, and opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 March 1973. The bridge was built to be functional and long-lived, and, as such, it is noticeably less decorated than other Thames bridges.
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