Courtesy of Wikipedia. Albert Bridge, London. Author Iridescent
Everyone loves a nickname and London has loads of them. It’s almost an English obsession to dream up a cute name to sum up something or somewhere. One of my favourites is the Trembling Lady.
Albert Bridge, known as a ‘cable-stayed’ bridge (it has two towers from which cables support the bridge’s deck) was constructed in August 1873 but began to vibrate soon after opening when traffic crossed over.
The vibration, known as mechanical resonance, was at its most pronounced when the bridge was used by soldiers marching to and from the nearby Chelsea barracks.
As marching troops were known to cause suspension bridges to collapse, the solution was typically understated British in its response. The authorities erected signs at the entrance to the bridge telling the troops to break step when crossing, thus avoiding the bridge oscillating to the rhythm of the marching steps, causing it to sway.
The other unique thing about this bridge is that it was built as a toll bridge and the original toll booths, the last remaining in London, are still in place at the southern entrance.