Waterloo Bridge
- The bridge is named after the Battle of Waterloo, which took place in 1815.
- The bridge is featured in the opening credits of the film “An American in Paris” (1951) and in the song “Waterloo Sunset” by The Kinks (1967).
- The bridge has a sister bridge in Paris, called the Pont de l’Alma, which was also designed by Thomas Telford.
- During the reconstruction of the bridge after World War II, a time capsule was buried beneath one of the arches. It contained a copy of the London Evening Standard newspaper, coins, and other artifacts from the time period.
- The bridge was the first in London to be lit by electricity, with the lights being turned on for the first time in 1878.
- The bridge’s iconic arches have been used as a backdrop for fashion shoots and music videos, including Madonna’s “Frozen” (1998) and Kanye West’s “Ultralight Beam” (2016).
- Over 50,000 vehicles and over 20,000 pedestrians cross Waterloo Bridge each day.
- The bridge’s design features five semicircular arches made of Portland stone.
- The bridge was heavily damaged during World War II.
- The most recent renovation of the bridge took place in the early 2000s, during which time it received a new waterproofing system and structural repairs.