London Bridge (Lake Havasu City)

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London Bridge in Lake Havasu City

The sign on London Bridge, Lake Havasu City, during April 2005

The London Bridge, currently located in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, USA, was originally constructed in London, United Kingdom, in 1831. The bridge was the last project of engineer John Rennie and completed by his son, also named John Rennie. By 1962, the bridge was not structurally sound enough to support the increased load created by the level of modern traffic crossing it, and it was sold by the City of London.

The purchaser, Robert McCulloch, was the founder of Lake Havasu and the chairman of McCulloch Oil Corporation. The bridge was carefully disassembled and each piece was numbered. After the bridge was dismantled it was transported to Merrivale Quarry where 150mm to 200mm was sliced off many of the original stones. These were shipped to the bridges present location and re-assembly began in 1968, with the original stone being used to clad a concrete structure. The reconstruction took slightly over three years and was completed in late 1971. As of 2008, it serves as a popular tourist attraction for the city.

It is a popular rumour that the bridge was bought in the belief that it was, in fact, London's more recognisable Tower Bridge^[1]^[2], but this was ardently denied by McCulloch himself and has been debunked by Ivan Luckin, who sold the bridge.^[3]

Recent years have seen a large amount of development in the area of the bridge to increase tourist interest, though much of the development has been met with criticism by local residents. The original "English Village", a quaint English-style open air mall with hedge maze and historical museum, has deteriorated, with sections leveled. Many compare the changes to those now seen on the American side of Niagara Falls, where ill-planned growth caused the swift decline in the desirability of the area.