Tag Archives: Tower Bridge

London Docks

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There are four docks or canals connecting into the River Thames along the stretch of the river through Central London that I walked in 2012. I walked bridges over three of these, though I was too distracted by other sites to photograph one of them. The one I missed was the Grosvenor Canal between the Chelsea and Grosvenor Bridges. I was busy photographing the former Battersea Power Station, Grosvenor Bridge, and the train yard next to the Grosvenor Bridge to notice that I walked another small bridge over the Grosvenor Canal. Returning to the site through Google Street View, it looks like the kind of bridge that you’d have to know was there to notice it.

I did notice when I was crossing the bridge across Ransome Dock (picture above), between the Battersea and Albert Bridges. Although, I hadn’t yet learned my lesson to always take an establishing shot of the bridge itself, not just the views from the bridge.

I also noticed when I walked across the Rolling Bridge over St. Saviour’s Dock (picture below), which is slightly downriver from the Tower Bridge. The structure of the bridge itself was fascinating enough that I did take a picture of it. It wasn’t until much later that I learned it truly is a unique bridge – the only draw bridge to curl up on itself.

Best Bridge – Bridge Madness 2025

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The Mid-Hudson Bridge in Poughkeepsie wins Bridge Madness 2025 with 88% of the votes.

Thank you for participating in the 2025 Bridge Madness Tournament! I hope you had as much fun voting as I did watching the votes add up. There were several surprises in this year’s match-up. Multiple iconic bridges got knocked out early; and the Mid-Hudson Bridge inspired a strong following right from the beginning.

As a reminder, this year’s tournament featured suspension bridges visited by urbantraipsing nationally and internationally. Below is the completed brackets for Bridge Madness 2025. To learn more about the bridges, revisit the introduction which has links to posts on each bridge. Keep scrolling to see past winners and for an opportunity to send me feedback on Bridge Madness.

I’m already brainstorming for Bridge Madness 2026. Hope you come back!

Past Winners

Bridge Madness 2024: Pittsburgh Pedestrian Bridges Winner – East Liberty Station Pedestrian Bridge

Bridge Madness 2023: Pittsburgh River Bridges Winner – Smithfield Street Bridge

Bridge Madness 2025 Map

Send me Feedback!

Bridge Madness started from a conversation with one of urbantraipsing’s fans. I added links to posts about the bridges in the introduction this year based on feedback from participants in prior years. Now it’s your turn to send me feedback. Do you have suggestions that would make the tournaments more fun? Thoughts on how to engage more people in voting? A bridge you recommend I add to my list of bridges to explore?

Also, I make a postcard every year announcing Bridge Madness, if you fill in your address below, I will add you to my mailing list for next year (the postcard is the only mailing I will send you).

Go back

Your message has been sent

Did you enjoy voting on bridges from a variety of locations?

Bridge Madness 2025 – Championship

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Rules

In the 2025 Bridge Madness Tournament, 16 suspension bridges go pier-to-pier in a reader’s choice tournament to pick the best one. This year’s tournament features suspension bridges visited by urbantraipsing nationally and internationally.

Results of the Final Four:

  • 6th Street Bridge vs. Manhattan Bridge – 69% to 31%
  • Albert Bridge vs. Mid-Hudson Bridge – 15% to 85%

Below is the bracket for the Championship. To learn more about the bridges, revisit the introduction which has links to posts on each bridge.

Championship

6th Street Bridge – Pittsburgh
Mid-Hudson Bridge – Poughkeepsie

Bridge Madness 2025 Map

Bridge Madness 2025 – Final Four

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Rules

In the 2025 Bridge Madness Tournament, 16 suspension bridges go pier-to-pier in a reader’s choice tournament to pick the best one. This year’s tournament features suspension bridges visited by urbantraipsing nationally and internationally.

Results of the Elite Eight:

  • 6th Street Bridge vs. 7th Street Bridge – 64% to 36%
  • Brooklyn Bridge vs. Manhattan Bridge – 44% to 56%
  • Albert Bridge vs. Golden Gate Bridge – 51% to 49%
  • Mid-Hudson Bridge vs. Tower Bridge – 79% to 21%

Below are the brackets for the Final Four. Remember to vote for one bridge in each bracket by noon on Thursday, March 20th, and then return on March 22th to vote for the Championship.

The bridges are divided into two conferences: New York City and Great Lakes Region vs. National and International. To learn more about the bridges, revisit the introduction which has links to posts on each bridge.

New York City and Great Lakes Region

6th Street Bridge – Pittsburgh
Manhattan Bridge – New York City

National and International

Albert Bridge – London
Mid-Hudson Bridge – Poughkeepsie

Bridge Madness 2025 Map

Bridge Madness 2025 – Elite Eight

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Rules

In the 2025 Bridge Madness Tournament, 16 suspension bridges go pier-to-pier in a reader’s choice tournament to pick the best one. This year’s tournament features suspension bridges visited by urbantraipsing nationally and internationally.

Results of the Sweet Sixteen:

  • 6th Street Bridge vs. Roebling Suspension Bridge – 52% to 48%
  • 7th Street Bridge vs. Wheeling Suspension Bridge – 60% to 40%
  • 9th Street Bridge vs. Brooklyn Bridge – 28% to 72%
  • South 10th Street Bridge vs. Manhattan Bridge – 16% to 74%
  • Albert Bridge vs. Lions Gate Bridge – 58% to 42%
  • Chelsea Bridge vs. Golden Gate Bridge – 35% to 65%
  • Jubilee Bridges vs. Mid-Hudson Bridge – 10% to 90%
  • Tower Bridge vs. Bosphorus Bridge – 83% to 17%

Below are the brackets for the Elite Eight. Remember to vote for one bridge in each bracket by noon on Thursday, March 13th, and then return on March 15th to vote for the Final Four.

The bridges are divided into two conferences: New York City and Great Lakes Region vs. National and International. To learn more about the bridges, revisit the introduction which has links to posts on each bridge.

New York City and Great Lakes Region

6th Street Bridge – Pittsburgh
7th Street Bridge – Pittsburgh
Brooklyn Bridge – New York City
Manhattan Bridge – New York City

National and International

Albert Bridge – London
Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco
Mid-Hudson Bridge – Poughkeepsie
Tower Bridge – London

Bridge Madness 2025 Map

Bridge Madness 2025 – Sweet Sixteen

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Rules

In the 2025 Bridge Madness Tournament, 16 suspension bridges go pier-to-pier in a reader’s choice tournament to pick the best one. This year’s tournament features suspension bridges visited by urbantraipsing nationally and internationally. Below are the brackets for the Sweet Sixteen. Remember to vote for one bridge in each bracket by noon on Thursday, March 6th, and then return on March 8th to vote for the Elite Eight.

The bridges are divided into two conferences: New York City and Great Lakes Region vs. National and International. To learn more about the bridges, revisit the introduction which has links to posts on each bridge.

New York City and Great Lakes Region

6th Street Bridge – Pittsburgh
Roebling Suspension Bridge – Cincinnati
7th Street Bridge – Pittsburgh
Wheeling Suspension Bridge – Wheeling
9th Street Bridge – Pittsburgh
Brooklyn Bridge – New York City
S. 10th Street Bridge – Pittsburgh
Manhattan Bridge – New York City

National and International

Albert Bridge – London
Lions Gate Bridge – Vancouver
Chelsea Bridge – London
Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco
Jubilee Bridges – London
Mid-Hudson Bridge – Poughkeepsie
Tower Bridge – London
Bosphorus Bridge – Istanbul

Bridge Madness 2025 Map

Bridge Madness 2025 – Introduction

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Rules

In the 2025 Bridge Madness Tournament, 16 suspension bridges go pier-to-pier in a reader’s choice tournament to pick the best one. This year’s tournament features suspension bridges visited by urbantraipsing nationally and internationally. Beginning March 1, you will be able to vote for your favorite bridge in each bracket. The champion bridge will be announced on March 29. Don’t forget to come back each week to vote your favorite bridge to #1!

Each round of voting will go live at 8 AM on the scheduled Saturday and close at noon the following Thursday. The schedule is:

  • March 1 – Sweet Sixteen
  • March 8 – Elite Eight
  • March 15 – Final Four
  • March 22 – Championship
  • March 29 – Winner announced

The bridges are divided into two conferences: New York City and Great Lakes Region vs. National and International.

New York City and Great Lakes Region

The suspension bridges in the New York City and Great Lakes Region Conference are below. Click on the links to learn more about urbantraipsing’s encounter with each bridge.

National and International

The suspension bridges in the National and International Conference are below. Click on the links to learn more about urbantraipsing’s encounter with each bridge.

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Bridge Madness 2025 Map

Millennium Bridge

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The Millennium Bridge is the first of two pedestrian bridges that cross the Thames.  The second, the Jubilee Bridge (click to see post), opened 3 years later in 2003.  While the Millennium Bridge is sadly only one color, I think it was probably the most photogenic bridge I walked in London.  Although I like the picture above less for the bridge and more for the buildings behind it, which show the city’s transition from a time when church steeples were the tallest thing around to today when that honor belongs to the skyscrapers.

The location of the bridge was very good.  It leads directly to St. Paul’s Cathedral.  In some ways I am surprised that it wasn’t until 2000 that a bridge was built at this location.  (I picked up some souvenir maps while in London depicting the city in 1520, 1666, 1843 and 1902 and none have a bridge or even ferry boat at this location.)  On the other hand, the other side of the bridge connects to the Tate Modern, which didn’t open as the international modern and contemporary art museum until 2000.  Before then the site was a power plant from 1947 until 1981 when it became redundant and closed, remaining vacant until the Tate took it.

The views from the Millennium Bridge show two things of interest related to the other city bridges.  First, upriver is a view of the first rail station to span the Thames and the longest solar bridge in the world (see July 31 post).  Downriver, the Tower Bridge, which I believe is the most iconic London bridge, comes into view for the first time.

I started this post by claiming that the Millennium Bridge was the most photogenic of the London bridges.  The views of it above are pretty interesting, but the best shot was the one I took from the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral looking down.

London Bridges

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When I arrived in London this spring and saw the bridges over the river Thames, I decided I had to walk them all as I have the goal of walking all the bridges in Pittsburgh and this was my one opportunity for doing the same in London.  I did succeed in walking all thirteen of the pedestrian friendly bridges on my map of London in the few days I was there.  I believe there may be two more bridges to the west which I should have crossed in order to be able to say I walked all the Thames bridges in Inner London, but due to the bend in the river and the limitations of my map I did not know of their existence until coming home.  While walking the bridges I got a wide variety of views of London, some of which I would have missed otherwise, aided by London’s excellent river walkways.  Over the next few weeks, look for posts describing my experiences and observations of the thirteen Thames bridges: Battersea Bridge, Albert Bridge, Chelsea Bridge, Vauxhall Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Jubilee Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Southwark Bridge, London Bridge, and Tower Bridge.