Why are there no bridges in East London?

Ali Erdenay

January 23, 2023

Why are there no bridges in East London?

London is a metropolitan area with a population of more than 8 million. The River Thames separates the city in half and therefore Londoners built several bridges over the year for easier transportation. Despite London having many bridges, West London is home to most of them, if not all. This is due to a few social and engineering-related factors.

Structural challenges

The first and most obvious reason is that River Thames is wider in the east than in the west, making it more challenging to construct bridges there.

Shipping Industry

Second, in the late 19th century, London was the largest shipping port in the world, making it virtually impossible to build bridges to the east of the ports because building bridges would have interrupted trade.

Limited demand

Lastly, there is not enough demand. East Londoners have to commute longer compared to West Londoners just to get above the bridge. However, East London has always been more sparsely populated compared to West London. Therefore, it has never been necessary or a top priority to construct another bridge in the east.

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Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWZ9ZVRQ0Nw

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