London Bridge did not fall down. London Bridge is standing tall in Lake Havasu AZ!
Arizona mountains seen through London Bridge
London Bridge Lake Havasu AZ
Felt like we were in London when we saw this phone booth!
As promised in my last post, I want to give you more details about how London Bridge became the centerpiece of Lake Havasu City in northwestern Arizona.
I will start at the beginning. Way back in 1831, a new London Bridge was completed over the River Thames in London, replacing another London Bridge that had been built in the 12th century. The new bridge was great until the 1960s, at that point the weight of modern cars had became too much for the bridge to bear and it began to sink into the Thames.
Marina by London Bridge
The weight of automobile traffic crossing the bridge in London in the early 20th Century, caused the bridge to began sinking into the River Thames at the rate of an inch every eight years. So by 1924, the east side of the bridge was about three to four inches lower than the west side. The bridge was dismantled so a new one can be built. And by 1967, the City of London was searching for someone to buy the dismantled bridge.
So just how did London Bridge come to reside in Arizona?
Lots of boats moored near London Bridge
Lake Havasu city was established in 1963 by Robert P. McCulloch, Sr. and was built as a self-sufficient, planned community. It’s is located on what is known as “Arizona’s West Coast. It is part of the northern and western edges of the Sonoran Desert. Lake Havasu City and the area surrounding it, feature excellent biodiversity and beautiful experiences.
McCulloch had great entrepreneurial talents. Though his greatest success came in the boat motor and chain-saw industry, he also ran businesses in oil and gas exploration, aviation and land development, in addition to other pursuits.
Land purchased
You can even rent a boat!
In 1963, he purchased a 26 square mile parcel of land on the shore of Lake Havasu, where he opened a chain-saw manufacturing plant there to spur growth. But McCulloch felt he needed an iconic attraction to create interest in the new town. He’d heard about London’s desire to sell London Bridge, so he put in a winning bid of about 2.5 million dollars, Each of the bridges 10,276 exterior granite blocks from the original bridge was shipped to Lake Havasu City. Each and every block was numbered before the bridge was disassembled.
All of the components of the disassembled bridge was shipped through the Panama Canal to Long Beach, California. From there, it was loaded onto trucks and hauled to Lake Havasu City where it was reassembled, piece by piece. To assure that the bridge would be stable and safe the load bearing elements were actually a new structure with the stonework from the original bridge used to clad the structure. London Bridge opened in Lake Havasu City in October 1971.
Did Lake Havasu City need a bridge?
View from our table at lunch
It did not! The land at the time was a peninsula that jutted into the lake. It wasn’t until after the bridge was rebuilt that the city dredged a canal under the bridge which created an island.
English Village, where we shopped and enjoyed lunch, was built by McCulloch to welcome visitors and support the sale of residential lots in the new city.
Was it worth it?
Stunning view of London Bridge and the Colorado River
The total cost of purchasing London Bridge, shipping, reassembling and dredging the canal under the bridge cost about 9.5 million dollars.
Today the area attracts nearly one million visitors each year. The historic London Bridge, pristine Lake Havasu, glorious sunshine and ideal weather draw people, including The Traveling Locavores, to the area. Desire to buy land in Lake Havasu City increased once the bridge was completed. McCulloch was able to recoup all of his expenses for buying and reassembling the bridge.
And don’t worry, London Bridge is not falling down. In fact the bridge is frequently home to a variety of special events and festivals every year!
London Bridge Today
We took our Jeep ducks for a ride across London Bridge Lake Havasu AZ
Lake Havasu City celebrated the 50th anniversary of the purchase of the London Bridge on October 20, 2018. The celebration included the 690th Right Honourable Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Charles Bowman, as well as a proclamation by Arizona Governor Douglas A. Ducey.
At the close of the celebration they had a traditional sheep crossing over the London Bridge, with sheep from the La Paz County/Colorado River Indian Tribe 4H Youth Program. Today the historic bridge is one of the most visited manmade attractions in Arizona, attracting visitors from around the world including photographers, filmmakers, travel writers, history buffs, boaters, kayakers, paddle boarders and music lovers at live concerts under its acoustical arches. McCulloch’s vision became a reality and Lake Havasu City is currently home to over 57,000 residents!
And of course we had to cross it!
The beautiful guard rails of London Bridge
There was no way that Steve and I would visit Lake Havasu without crossing London Bridge! So after lunch we hopped back in the Jeep and drove across the gorgeous bridge in order to get to the actual lake. We both look forward to another visit to London Bridge Lake Havasu AZ!!!
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