介绍： London river crossings: The Thames barrier
To learn about London’s new mayor, look to the river
From The Economist 20161015

Audio:

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Troubled water
WINSTON CHURCHILL is said to have called the River Thames the “silver thread which runs through the history of Britain.” First it provided early Lond...

介绍： London river crossings: The Thames barrier
To learn about London’s new mayor, look to the river
From The Economist 20161015

Audio:

0:00



Troubled water
WINSTON CHURCHILL is said to have called the River Thames the “silver thread which runs through the history of Britain.” First it provided early Londoners with fish suppers. Later it brought the country wealth as the shipping trade joined the capital to European ports and the world beyond. But today, in some parts of the city, the Thames is more of a hindrance than a boon.

Central and western parts of the river are criss-crossed by many bridges. But “stand on Tower Bridge looking east,” says an official in the mayor’s office, “and you will basically see a big gap.” The lack of crossings in east London reflects both geography and history. As the Thames winds its way to Essex, it broadens and the rock beneath it softens, making tunnelling difficult. Since big ships still visit docks in the east, any new bridge would have to be taller than those upstream.

The lack of crossings lengthens commutes. It jams the few available ways to get from north to south London. And, partly as a result, it stymies housebuilding: sprawling brownfield sites in east London remain undeveloped.

Plans to improve transport across the river have been knocking around since the 1930s. One of the first acts of Boris Johnson, the mayor of London from 2008 to 2016, was to give in to locals who opposed a large bridge in east London, though he later came around to the case for more crossings. This month Sadiq Khan, the new mayor, gave his support to five proposals, some of which were drawn up under his predecessor. That suggests a more mature approach to big infrastructure projects, says David Leam of London First, a lobby group.


While Mr Khan has given these projects a boost, he has cooled on a fancier proposed crossing in central London. The Garden Bridge, drawn up by a famous designer and supported by a cast of glitzy socialites, as well as Mr Johnson, has had a bad few months. In July Mr Khan said he would not commit any more cash to the project. This month the National Audit Office, a watchdog, revealed that civil servants were concerned by public spending on the bridge.

For better or worse, the Garden Bridge is the “equivalent of a country garden folly”, says Tony Travers of the London School of Economics. Focusing on transport in east London is a “more utilitarian thing to do”, he says. Mr Johnson was criticised for investing in vanity projects (as foreign secretary, he has proposed a new Royal Yacht). The new mayor seems to be taking a more practical approach.


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