READING Borough Council has marked the centenary of one of the town’s most recognisable–and most used– landmarks with a new plaque.
On Tuesday, October 3, Reading Bridge turned 100 years old, marking a century since it was officially instated on October 3, 1923.
The structure bridges northernmost Central Reading with Caversham, one of three crossing the Thames in the borough, and one of two which carries road traffic.
Councillors, including the mayor of Reading, Cllr Tony Page, unveiled a new plaque which has been installed, commemorating 100 years of the bridge.
They were joined by members of the Caversham and District Residents Association (CADRA), who have produced a booklet exploring the history of the bridge and its continued service as part of Reading’s transport network.
Cllr Page, along with fellow councillors and CADRA members, crossed the bridge in vintage cars to mark the event.
The three vintage cars- a Rolls Royce 20/25 convertible from 1934, an Armstrong Siddeley Sports Foursome from 1935, and an Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire 234 from 1958- were supplied by Berkshire Motor Show.
Speaking at the event, mayor of Reading Cllr Tony Page said: “Today is the centenary of the bridge and marks the 100th year of Reading Bridge, opened on October 3, 1923, on a cold, wet, and windy day– today: blue skies and sunshine.
“The bridge has served Reading extremely well, so we unveiled the plaque this morning to celebrate the event, and then a convoy of vintage cars ran over the bridge.
“I’m proud also to have been joined by representatives from the Caversham and District Resident’s Association, who have produced an extremely fine booklet about the bridge’s construction, opening, and continued good service to the people of Reading.”
Plans for a bridge over the Thames were first put forward in the late 1800s, with proposals looking at a swing bridge above Caversham granted building permission in 1971.
The proposals did not transpire, however when Caversham became part of the borough of Reading in 1911, plans for a new bridge were again submitted.
Originally set to be made of steel, building work on the bridge stalled due to the outbreak of the First World War before building work on a new concrete design by L. G. Mouchel & Partners began in March 1923.
Following its opening that October, the bridge would remain the longest reinforced concrete span in the UK until 1928.
The main structure of the arch is made up of four 55-metre-long concrete ribs, reinforced with steel, supported by spandrel columns, and rooted in place by two concrete foundations weighing around 2,000 tons each.
The “deck” is more than 12 metres wide, allowing space for two lanes of traffic and a footpath on either side of the bridge.
John Ennis, lead councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: “Reading Bridge remains an iconic and historic structure that has served the town fantastically well over the last 100 years.
“It is a key part of our infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists from Reading and beyond and it was wonderful to see the historic cars and bicycles travelling over it this morning on its centenary, as both a nod to its incredible history and to illustrate just how much times have changed since it was first opened.
“I’m certain that Reading’s historic bridge will remain in situ for the next hundred years too, even if not many of us will be around to see it.”
Reading Bridge 1923-2023, Caversham and District Residents Association’s booklet looking at the history of the bridge, is available via: cadra.org.uk/readingbridge100
