Tourists are just now realizing that the London Bridge is not actually spanning the River Thames in England, but sitting in the Arizona desert. The bizarre relocation of the iconic bridge to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., dates back to 1968, when eccentric millionaire Robert McCulloch bought it for an eye-watering $2.46 million, the equivalent of around $19 million today. It is now one of the most famous landmarks in the state. In 2018 alone, it drew a staggering 3.8 million visitors, beaten only by the Grand Canyon. The London bridge, built in 1831, was put up for sale in 1967 because it was too narrow to cope with increasingly wide modern cars, buses and trucks. It had also been sinking by around an inch every 4 years. Its concrete replacement, which still stands today, opened in 1973. It took nearly 3 years to dismantle and re-erect the bridge. Each stone that was shipped had to be numbered so it could be accurately reconstructed once it arrived in the U.S. The stones were put onto a cargo ship that sailed through the Panama Canal to Long Beach, Calif. They were then transported by truck to Lake Havasu City. While the Federal Highway Administration has since deemed the bridge “functionally obsolete,” the icon continues to be a major draw for visitors.
People Are Just Realizing the London Bridge Isn’t in London
Tourists are just now realizing that the London Bridge is not actually spanning the River Thames in England, but sitting in the Arizona desert. The bizarre relocation of the iconic bridge to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., dates back to 1968, when eccentric millionaire Robert McCulloch bought it for an eye-watering $2.46 million, the equivalent of around $19 million today. It is now one of the most famous landmarks in the state. In 2018 alone, it drew a staggering 3.8 million visitors, beaten only by the Grand Canyon. The London bridge, built in 1831, was put up for sale in 1967 because it was too narrow to cope with increasingly wide modern cars, buses and trucks. It had also been sinking by around an inch every 4 years. Its concrete replacement, which still stands today, opened in 1973. It took nearly 3 years to dismantle and re-erect the bridge. Each stone that was shipped had to be numbered so it could be accurately reconstructed once it arrived in the U.S. The stones were put onto a cargo ship that sailed through the Panama Canal to Long Beach, Calif. They were then transported by truck to Lake Havasu City. While the Federal Highway Administration has since deemed the bridge “functionally obsolete,” the icon continues to be a major draw for visitors.