The new bridge, wide and spacious was instantly busy, even more so when the railways came to London, with London Bridge Station opening just south of London Bridge. This direct access to London meant commuters became commonplace, adding to the bridge’s heavy traffic.

 

Widening the Rennie bridge

With thousands crossing the bridge everyday, the bridge soon needed expanding and in 1902-1904, it was widened by slotting stone brackets into the masonry, increasing space between the walls on each edge to 65 feet, expanding the footpath to 15 feet wide.

New developments also took place at both ends and squares were created with steps leading from them down to the river, used by riverboats and steamers.